Always a Soldier
by Lord Genesis Shadow
Summary: Megakat City has had a lot of villains over the years, and only the Enforcers and SWAT Kats protecting them, but it was nearly always the latter that saved the day due to lackluster 'rank and file' soldiers in the Enforcers, save for two. It's about time they got a better Enforcer, and Leon Mane is just the kat for the job, but he has a secret. Once a soldier... (Rated T, may rise)
1. The New Guy

**I've gotten back in touch with an old cartoon I loved as a kid, which was cancelled after just short of two seasons due to it being violent. Granted, it had moments where characters died, sometimes in large numbers, and a particularly gruesome scene in the episode 'The Giant Bacteria' where a villain with potential was turned into the eponymous bacteria monster, in what appeared to be a short but very painful transformation, which was followed by the bacteria later eating a cow and a farmer, and eventually a full subway train, so that episode alone had a high death toll. But I don't think it deserved to be cancelled just for that, as it was getting better.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to SWAT Kats.  
…**

I settled against the pilot seat of the new jet, looking over the controls, feeling each one carefully. The seat was genuine leather, padded, and equipped with a full ejector module. The pedals were also padded with high friction rubber, as was the throttle control and control grip. There were four machine gun Vulcans on the front by the nose, higher caliber than the older models, eight missiles, four under each wing, and a set of rocket pods beside each set of missiles. It was armed for the worst enemies we faced so often. If they showed up, we were going to tear them apart with these new jets.

My name is Leon Mane. I'm an Enforcer in Megakat City, a Captain, but I'm a special case. I'm only seventeen, but I passed the academy's standards and took down records that have stood for upwards of ten years. What really made it possible for me to get out of the academy nearly three years early was because I was actually flying better than the instructors, and they used to be among the best fighter pilots in the Enforcers. Due to my abilities, they taught me the rules I was to abide by, and they gave me the rank of Sergeant straight out of the barracks. In the last six months, I've managed to get to Captain for taking down some dangerous up and coming criminals, cutting their careers short by putting them in jail.

I'm six foot four and a half inches, and I weigh one hundred and thirty seven pounds without any equipment. Off duty I wear a black Enforcer cap, a pair of mirror sunglasses, a red tee shirt with a few rips and tears, a black leather jacket with the Enforcer's logo on the left shoulder, a pair of stonewashed blue jeans, a pair of steel toe boots with hollowed out heels, and a pair of fingerless gloves. The boots' heels have jackknives in them if I need them, and I keep a revolver strapped to my left ankle at all times. I always wear my kat tags, with my name, service number, and other important information, and a teardrop locket my mother gave me as a cub.

On duty I wear my typical uniform, including body armor with the jacket over it, with full leather gloves and the standard issue steel toe boots. I wear special contact lenses on duty, anti-glare with transition lens properties. I still keep the revolver strapped to my ankle, in addition to the sidearm I keep with me. One addition I made to my uniform was minor, a silver belt buckle with the Enforcer's logo. Due to the fact that I bring my Stetson to work, some of the others call me a cowboy, something that the commander sometimes calls me from the fact that I sometimes have trouble keeping a weapon operator. I don't need one, but I fly better with someone else handling the missiles and other weapon systems.

I'm young, but I'm one of the best pilots in the Enforcers right now, in the top three for six months in a row, but that's not the only thing that sets me apart. Among all the different breeds of kats in the world, there were some known as 'wilder' kats. Commander Feral and his niece were among four in Megakat City, before I arrived. I'm actually unique even with that. My mother was a Siberian white tiger, and my father was a Lion that lived a few cities over from Megakat. That makes me a special breed, a white liger with a light Russian accent. So light, you might think it's not even there. But the reason kats like me are known as 'wilder' is because we tend to be more aggressive than others, and while I keep that in check, there are times when I let my anger out when I'm training to keep in shape at the gym.

"Captain Mane." A male voice said from nearby.

"Ain't me." A gruff male said. I kept looking over the panels, specifically the secondary weapon system panel. I switched on the view screen and went through the weapons for a few moments. In addition to missiles, there was an onboard laser blaster that came out just under the nose, and a rear firing missile launcher.

'Perfect…' I thought. 'Just my luck I'd end up being picked to pilot this baby… I think I'm onto something.'

"Captain Mane?" The first male asked. I leaned up after turning the screen off as a kat pointed away, toward the desk.

"Hey." I called. The kat looked over and I gestured to the ladder as I sat down. 'Fruitcake. Just ask where I am next time.' I turned the screen on and went back through the list until he was at the top of the steps. "What do you need?"

"I'm, looking for Captain Leon Mane?" He said, as if unsure. "Is it, some kind of joke around here? Mess with the new guy the first week?"

"No, we don't do hazing around here." I said. "You just made a rookie mistake, and they're punishing you for it until you learn."

"You just said there's no hazing, though." He said.

"It's not hazing if you're teaching a lesson." I said.

"And, you are?" He asked.

"Does it matter?" I asked.

"I guess not, if you're a jerk." He said, somewhat bitterly. "I'm just looking for this guy, everyone's pointing me elsewhere, no one will tell me where he is, and it's like it's just one big prank! I _earned_ the right to be an Enforcer, every step. Yeah, I'm the last guy on the chain of command, but I'll prove I'm worth at least sergeant rank."

"Why are you looking, anyway?" I asked. I looked down the weapon list.

"I'm his new weapon system operator." He said tiredly. "I'm not a great operator. I'm not a _good_ operator." I looked at him, about to ask what he was doing, but he leaned over and pointed at me. "I'm _the best_ weapon system operator to join the Enforcers in the last five years, and I'll bet you know what that means."

"Yeah, I do." I said. "It means they want the best operator with the best pilot after last Friday's little fiasco where Hard Drive sent a plane into a spin and the operator ejected after the pilot refused to give up on the plane. He got it back under control and shot down Hard Drive, but, it was still the loss of a good operator."

"So, that wasn't just a rumor." He said. "Leon Mane really is that crazy?"

"Crazy?" I asked. "Is it crazy to not want my jet to crash into a school?" He was silent for all of a moment.

"_Your_ jet?" He asked shakily. "Y-you're, Leon… C-C-Captain Mane."

"Yup." I said. "A crazy jerk." I switched the screen off and looked up at him. "One thing, the next time you're looking for someone, don't go around to every guy or girl saying a name. _Ask_ where the kat is." He looked down slightly, as if worried. "Lesson two, if someone asks you if who they are matters, always assume it does, because that means they're hiding something." He nodded after a moment. "Lesson…" I looked past him as a light began flashing. "Three. Get in the seat and learn the controls, now."

"Why?" He asked. An alarm klaxon began blaring as names were announced, and kats ran to their fighters.

"We're on." I said. He got in quickly and I closed the cockpit while we were taxied onto the flight deck. "I hope you're a quick learner. You'll need that in this jet."

"What kind of fighter is this, sir?" He asked, all nervousness gone.

"New model." I said. "Based on the Blue Manx design from a few years back, tweaked for mass production. This is the third one off the line."

"Third, sir?" He asked.

"The top three pilots are set aside to have a higher equipment budget." I said. "Better weapons, better fighters, better operators if they need them, in exchange for being set on the worst missions." My communicator beeped. "Pay attention to this."

"This is Commander Feral." He said. "Your target is attacking Megakat Biochemical. There's an unidentified aircraft on the roof. Captain Mane and Lieutenant Feral, you are to use your new fighters' hover mode to watch over the craft and deter the targets. Machine guns only, short bursts, and aim _only_ for the area in front of them."

"Roger that." Lieutenant Feral said.

"Understood." I said. I readied the thrusters as she flew ahead, and after the minimum safe time, the catapult I was on launched us quickly, giving us a few moments to pull up and fly to her right.

"Sir, why are we behind a lieutenant?" The kat behind me asked.

"Because she's Lieutenant Felina Feral." I said.

"So?" He asked. "Just because she shares the commander's last name shouldn't give her special treatment."

"No, it doesn't." I said. "What does is her experience. She should be a major by now, but she's been denied by people before it got to the commander, and neither she or the commander want to be seem like they're giving her special treatment by him directly promoting her solely because her requests don't get to him." He was silent. "That's just the first reason, though. Second, she doesn't follow orders. She gives them, and if you're smart, you'll pay attention to her and follow her orders. Third, I didn't hear you introduce yourself."

"Richard Arden Jenkins, PFC." He said.

"Well, Jenkins, welcome to the Enforcers, now hold onto your lunch." I said. As expected, the lieutenant sped up, and I pushed the throttle forward slightly. Being in the same type of jet, I could keep up, but I trusted her instincts. Like her uncle, she was of a wilder, more aggressive breed of kat, but she was more in control of it than her uncle, who often let his temper get the better of his judgment. My communicator beeped again so I touched the side of my helmet, the button for it. "Go for Mane."

"I wanted to make sure you're not flying alone, Captain." She said. "Rules are that unless there's a special reason, all pilots have a weapon officer to maximize the pilot's focus on flying. Is the new guy there or did you have to head out too fast?"

"He's here, ma'am." I said. "Richard Arden Jenkins, PFC. Says he's the best in his class. I didn't get that memo." She grunted quietly.

"There wasn't one." She said. "No name passed around, just that we were getting a new guy to replace the one that chickened out thanks to your last minute decision, not that I condemn your choice to risk your life to save those kittens."

"I don't regret what happened." I said. "He left, I stayed, and he got to play with the kids while the car was sent out to pick him up." Jenkins stifled a laugh behind me.

"I see the target." She said. "They're running along the roof toward the, thing… What is that?" I flew faster and went immediately to hover mode, as the manual had explained. She did the same just as I peppered the roof in front of them for a quarter of a second. They stopped and looked up at us as I picked up the PA.

"This is Captain Mane of the Enforcers!" I said in an authoritative tone. "We have you surrounded. Set the stolen goods down and raise your hands immediately." One dropped a box while the rest ran in, and he pulled out a rocket launcher and fired it at me. I dodged it easily. The lieutenant fired on him, hitting him, but as he hit the ground, I saw that it was only his legs that were hit as the strange jet took off. It had landing legs, covered rotors to let it take off vertically, and thrusters that moved it quickly, narrowly fitting through a dozen choppers as they told them to stop. "I'm going after them!" I put the mic down and switched modes in perfect synch with the lieutenant, though I was in mid turn. She flew over the choppers while I went under, and we caught up to one another quickly.

"Don't think I was going to stay around." She said. "They're not getting away with whatever they stole."

"Captain Mane, Lieutenant Feral, I've just learned of what was stolen." The commander said. "They created a batch of the mutagenic compound that created _Dr. Viper_!"

"What?" The lieutenant asked.

"My guess is that they're trying to create a race of lizard-cat hybrids." He said. "Fans of his work, no doubt. Your orders are to take that plane down as soon as possible with minimal collateral damage. Do you read me?"

"Understood, sir." I said.

"Got it, uncle." She said. The line went silent as I pushed the thrusters a little faster. "Mane, be careful, I see three turrets on top!" I looked to see them and dodged a set of high intensity lasers, so I stayed under. "This isn't good, you don't have a lot of room!"

"I don't need a lot." I said quietly. "I just need enough." I turned sideways down an alleyway into a wide area of the park before righting the jet, and I heard a sound.

"Sir, can you get ahead of them?" Jenkins asked.

"Too risky." I said. "They'll have those lasers, or worse, on the front end."

"We only have one missile system that fires up to target, and I can't get tone otherwise." He said. I began thinking.

"Damn!" The lieutenant called. "I can't get close enough for my operator to get a lock! Those lasers are short range, but they're too powerful!" I finished the plan.

"How good is your blind fire aim, Jenkins?" I asked.

"I can do it, if I had a few seconds and an idea of what we were doing." He said. "Why?"

"I'm going to fly ahead at top speed." I said. I fell back a good distance. "If I give you a few seconds run-up, can you take them out?"

"Get a little higher and I promise, it'll take them out." He said.

"This is _Commander_ Feral, to Captain Mane and _Lieutenant_ Feral." He said. "You are authorized to destroy the craft and its contents. We can't risk anymore of that mutagen to be made. Take it down, hard."

"Understood." The lieutenant and I said together.

"Jenkins." I said.

"Missile system open and ready, sir." He said. I pulled up to give him just enough distance that we wouldn't get caught in the blast. I pushed the engine to the limit, and after a moment he made a sound. "Ready!" I flew under it and all of two seconds passed before I heard the explosion. I pulled up as we slowed down, and I saw the jet flying toward the ground, in a field out of town. "Confirmed kill?"

"Confirmed kills." I said. "No one's walking away from that with their tails intact."

"This is Lieutenant Feral." She said. "Good shot, boys. Looks like Jenkins was accurate about being the best. Good work."

"Thank you, ma'am." He said. "I'm just glad they didn't get a chance to go Viper." She laughed while I smirked and turned back, flying a fair distance behind her, but at an angle toward headquarters as I opened a line.

"This is Captain Mane for Commander Feral." I said.

"This is Feral." He said. "What is the status of the thieves' transport jet?"

"Destroyed, sir." I said. "Anti-missile lasers on the top prevented an attack from above, so I went under. Jenkins used the new top mounted, rear firing missile battery. Confirmed that it does what it's meant to, and confirmed takedown of the enemy transport."

"I'm sending choppers out to confirm the destruction of the mutagen." He said after a moment. "Good work, you two. Jenkins, remind me to pat you on the back when you return."

"Y-yes sir." He said somewhat proudly.

"And Felina, good work drawing their attention." Commander Feral said. "If you weren't such a good pilot, you would have put that jet at risk."

"Thank you, sir." She said.  
…

I polished my boot just a little more before setting it on the newspaper and capping the applicator. Standing up, I walked over to the kitchen and checked on my eggs, in the oven. After moving the spatula for a moment, I pulled the pan out and pushed the now scrambled eggs onto the plate and turned off the oven. A little salt and pepper later, I sat on the couch with my plate and fork and began eating while watching the news.

"Today marks a turning point for the Enforcers of Megakat City." Ann Gora said. "A new model of fighter was unleashed today against a group of bio-terrorists claiming to be 'The Sons of Dr. Viper', a group of criminals who believed in the deranged former kat's 'mission' to mutate all forms of life into monsters, calling it 'evolution' that the world needs. They attempted to create the formula that made Dr. Purviss into Dr. Viper several years ago, and while successful in the creation process, their theft was foiled not long after by the new fighter jets of the Enforcers." A picture of our jets appeared, and I smiled a little. "Seen here are two of the three known to be at the ready. Zoomed photos reveal the pilots to be well known Enforcer, Lieutenant Felina Feral, her weapon system operator, Sergeant Maxwell, and new pilot Captain Leon Mane, who has apparently only been around for six months as an Enforcer. Records indicate that he started as a Sergeant straight out of the pilot's academy at the young age of _seventeen_, which would normally be considered illegal, but Mane is, indeed, a special case due to his extraordinary, almost _impossible_ skill that would normally take a pilot at least five to ten years to become so capable. Pictured here…" An image of Jenkins' face appeared, his visor raised. "Is his weapon system operator, Richard Arden Jenkins, and it is apparently his first day on the job. Despite this, thanks to incredible teamwork between both pilots, one of the jets shot down the terrorists today only four minutes after having taken off. Eight other terrorists were found on site, and resisted arrest. Several Enforcers were injured, and four were left in critical condition, but the terrorists, save for the leader, were confirmed dead on arrival at the local hospital. The leader, name unknown, escaped from the roof, but by the amount of blood found in the trail, he is considered dead, but a body has yet to be found at the end of the trail." I finished my eggs and set the plate down. "This is Ann Gora, Kats Eye News. Back to you…" I turned the TV off and grabbed the plate, taking it into the kitchen and washing it.

"No corpse…" I said. "And we recovered all but one bottle of the mutagen… I hope two plus two doesn't equal four in this case…" I put the plate and fork in their places before walking to my bedroom, removing my shirt and tossing it in the hamper before laying down and turning on the alarm. "Wake me up bright and early, now. I need to get in early to deal with, that…"


	2. Nothing Worth Doing is Easy

**As part of a special startup pack, I'm doing three chapters on June 7, 2013, so I hope this helps it get a little notice. I'm not expecting great things, but please don't judge it until you get a little into it. You might like it as it smoothes out later on.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to SWAT Kats. Thank you, and enjoy.  
…**

The alarm buzzed loudly until I reached over and turned it off. I got up after a few moments and got out of the bed, stretching for a few minutes to loosen my muscles a little. When I was done with that, I walked to the bathroom and relieved myself. After washing my hands and dealing with the rest of my routine, I walked out just as the phone rang.

'Who else is up right now that's not a farmer?' I thought tiredly. I picked up the phone. "Leon Mane." I nodded a little, smirking. 'Answered my own little question.'

"Leon, this is Tricia Siri from resources." She said kindly. "I'm sorry to call so early, but this is in regards to your last operator's resignation."

"Jenkins resigned already?" I asked.

"Oh, no, no, I meant the one before him, Salem Reynolds." She said. "Sorry, I'm on my last hour of a sixteen hour shift."

"Those are pretty harsh." I said. "Is he in some trouble?"

"I wish I could say no, but this is serious." She said. "He's withdrawn all of his savings and just, vanished. I can't get in contact with him. I'm hoping you have a number I can reach him at?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't." I said. "Corporal Reynolds and I never spoke, mostly because of the rumors about why Tatlin quit three days before he came along." She sighed.

"This isn't good." She said. "There's no information, and I don't know what's going on. He emptied his savings account, his 401k, his pension, everything, he didn't even care about the penalties, he just… Left without a trace."

"I, wish I could say it's strange, but I barely knew him." I said. "All I know is that he had a picture in his locker that, legally, I wasn't supposed to be able to look at." She laughed softly.

"Well, if you see him, let him know the resource division needs to talk to him, pronto." She said.

"If I see him, I'll be sure to tell him." I said.

"Thank you." She said. "Goodbye, captain."

"Goodbye." I said. She hung up and I set the phone on the hook, only for it to ring ten seconds later. I picked it up with my eyebrow raised slightly. "Leon Mane."

"Captain Mane, I'm Max Nelson, from City Hall." He said. "I'm calling you on behalf of Mayor Manx. He's going to show some executives from overseas the recently renovated Megakat Tower, and he wants personal security. Commander Feral recommended air units to be ready, and your name was near the top of the list, just under Lieutenant Felina Feral. As this isn't officially an Enforcer issue, we asked if we could formally request the pilots personally instead of asking for just a task force. It's a single mission for the day, with three week's salary and a choice between an extra two week's pay or a free round of golf with the mayor this Friday. I've already asked the lieutenant, and she signed off on it and will be with us. Can the mayor count on your support?" I thought for a few moments. "If you're wondering why the mayor is asking, it's because he's a little leery about the tower, given that the last two times he tried to sell it, it was either captured and used as a greenhouse by Dr. Viper or infested with a nest of alien ci-kat-a. It's taken a lot longer to fix it thanks to the fire last time, but now that it's repaired, he wants to make sure nothing happens to it."

"If the mayor's worried about the tower, I'll lend a hand." I said. "And I'll think about the golf or extra pay on my way in."

"Thank you." He said. "I'll tell Commander Feral. I'm sure your weapon operator will appreciate the extra pay, given that it'll be directly handed to you, tax free, by the Mayor at the end of the day."

"And it's not even my birthday." I said. He laughed as he hung up, and I set the phone on the hook, watching it. "That's what I thought."  
…

"So, we're babysitting, a tower." Jenkins said as we taxied onto the runway.

"More or less." I said.

"And if something serious comes along?" He asked. "What then?"

"We wait for orders and hope we're not needed." I said. "Knowing the mayor, he'll withhold the money if we have to leave on the grounds that we didn't put in a full day."

"It's just the two jets though." He said. "What can we do if, like, Dark Kat attacks?"

"We'll do whatever it takes to put them on, or in, the ground." I said. "That's our job." He sighed as we were set on the catapult and launched after the lieutenant. As we gained altitude, he leaned forward.

"So, it's golf, or extra pay?" He asked.

"Two week's worth." I said. "Or a round of golf with the mayor himself. I'm leaning toward the pay, however. I've been meaning to get my bike tuned up and the forks straightened a little."

"You have a motorcycle?" He asked. "What, kind?"

"Harley." I said. "A fifty three." He whistled. "I want to get the engine tuned up, the forks straightened, and if there's money left over, some new tires. Three weeks will get the engine and forks worked on, but five weeks should get everything and leave me some left over for a visit to the diner up the street from my apartment."

"I think I'll go for the extra pay." He said after a moment. "I really need the money, so, I'm glad you took the job… I just wish it wasn't babysitting."

"Tower sitting, but I'm with you." The lieutenant said. "Thanks to the mayor's reckless spending streak, taxes are so high I can hardly afford my apartment lately. If he sells the tower, hopefully it'll make him lower taxes enough I don't have to survive on canned tuna."

"What's wrong with canned tuna?" Jenkins asked after a moment. The lieutenant laughed as I smirked and switched to hover mode and moved onto the roof. That was our job. Sit on the roof in our jets and wait for security to let us know about any trouble, and then blast it if it wasn't in the building. Otherwise, go inside and take care of it. "So, how long do we stay here?"

"Until the mayor sells the building." She said. "You might as well get cozy." I leaned back in my seat after turning everything off.

"Works for me." I said. "I'm all for an easy work day."

"A kid would be." The sergeant said.

"Kid?" Jenkins asked. They both laughed. "Hey, I'm not…"

"He means the captain." She said. "He's seventeen." I heard Jenkins shift as I lowered the visor of my helmet to clear the glare.

"S-seventeen." He repeated.

"It's a long story, Jenkins." She said. "I'll fill you in, if you don't mind, Captain?"

"As I recall, you don't take no for an answer." I said. "Even from _Commander_ Feral." She laughed as I tuned them out, but listened for my name. While I sat, for the better part of ten minutes, I started looking at the clouds. Another ten minutes of figuring shapes that I was fond of, I sat up and opened the cockpit after hearing the lieutenant's open.

"Sir, I just, can't believe this." Jenkins said.

"I'm young, I'm a captain, and you know I'm a good pilot." I said. "What's not to believe?"

"Just…" He started. "I mean, you got into the graduating class, and after only three months, you graduated six months early, as a sergeant, and now you're a captain after those six months. Forgive me for being incredulous, but this is a joke, right? Prank the new guy?"

"It's no joke, Jenkins." I said. "But if you want to know how I got into the academy so fast, I made a bet with the head of the academy, that if I could do the obstacle course in a fighter at any speed, he lets me in a year early. If I'd have lost, I'd fetch him coffee for a month, or longer, depending on how long it would take to pay off a half a million dollar training jet on a secretary's wages. Seeing as I'm here and not fetching coffee, you get the point."

"And, graduating half a year early." He said.

"My uncle handpicked him because he was taking down every record." The lieutenant said. "Turns out, Captain Mane is an exceptionally capable pilot that doesn't know what tunnel vision is. I guess that's one benefit of being a liger."

"A, liger." Jenkins said. "Okay, how?"

"You want my life story, go look at my jacket." I said, leaning back again. "I'm going to get some rest." The radio beeped, and I sighed. "Or not." I picked it up. "Captain Mane."

"Captain, there's a minor situation inside." Deputy Mayor Briggs said. "Security needs a little more muscle. We're in the lobby." I heard breaking glass.

"I'm on my way, Miss Briggs." I said. I put the radio down. "Jenkins, keep me posted on what happens."

"Need any backup?" The lieutenant asked as I jumped out and started walking.

"I should be fine on my own." I said. "And just in case something needs our jets, at least one of us should be able to scramble, if you want to trade."

"I'll stay up here, thanks." She said. "I don't care for security."

"Neither will the guy causing trouble when I step in." I said. I walked into the elevator and hit the lobby button. As I waited, the elevator moved surprisingly fast. After only two minutes, the door finally opened and I dodged a thrown object as a large kat threw guards left and right. "Enforcers, put your hands in the air!" I pointed my pistol at him and he just laughed. "Hands in the air, now! I won't warn you again!" I walked out and he suddenly threw a computer from the security table at me, and I fired twice, but had to dodge it. Unfortunately that gave him time to close the distance, so I rolled aside and ducked back, but as I went to shoot him, the gun jammed, so I dropped it. "Plan b." He ran at me and threw a punch, so I ducked under it. I grabbed his arm and threw him over my shoulder, right onto the hard ground. He stared at the ceiling as I grabbed my sidearm and ejected the shell and swapped magazines, taking aim at his head. "Now, get on your stomach, and put your hands behind your back. You get one warning, and this is it." He kicked the gun, much to my surprise, but I moved around him as he got up, and I jumped up, grabbing him around the neck in a chokehold. He staggered around as the executives stared, and Miss Briggs watched. "Don't worry, I've got him!" After a moment of trying to pull me free, he fell to his knees and then to the ground, and I held on for a moment longer before getting up, breathing calmly as I checked his pulse. "Okay, that's that." I pulled out the heavy duty cuffs and put them on him as the lead executive walked over.

"I am very impressed." He said. "The last I saw of the Enforcers was hardly flattering." I grabbed my radio as I looked to him.

"I've only been on for six months." I said. "Mr. Young?" He nodded. "Yeah, last I heard, you were here three years ago during the Ci-Kat-A infestation. Thankfully this time won't end with the tower being destroyed." He laughed as I pressed a button on the side and held the radio up.

"I've already called for a squad car." Miss Briggs said. I put the radio away just as the car pulled up. "Now that we're safe from this guy, what do you say we go to the penthouse to wait for Mayor Manx, Mr. Young?"

"Actually, I have a question for the captain." He said. I turned. To serve and protect meant the occasional answering questions. "You are the Captain Mane that flew the new fighter yesterday, correct?"

"I am, sir." I said.

"Is this jet here at the tower, now?" He asked. "I must admit, after seeing it on the news, I have wanted to see it up close. Considering how you managed to fit it between two buildings and then use it to take down a larger, more heavily armed and armored transport jet, it must be quite the fighter."

"It's on the landing pad on the roof." I said. "If there's trouble, I'll have to scramble, but if you want to see it, I can't see the harm."

"Thank you." He said, bowing slightly.  
…

I went over the controls in my head yet again while Jenkins talked about the capabilities of the 'EF-17', the seventeenth fighter used by the Enforcers, and the most advanced yet. After a few more minutes though, I saw a glint, so I pulled out my binoculars and zoomed in on the spot. It was a young kat with a telescope looking at the top of the tower, possibly at us. After a moment, the kitten, a young boy by his face, waved, so I waved back.

"Who are you waving at, captain?" Mr. Young asked.

"A kitten with a telescope." I said. "He's watching us, and he knows I have my binoculars." After a moment, I heard Jenkins waving as well. "I think we just made his day. He's jumping up and down, and running inside. Likely to tell his family." I put the binoculars away and sat against the seat again.

"It must be nice, being an icon of safety to the city." Mr. Young said.

"It's what makes the job all the more worthwhile." I said. "But that's only part of why we do it." Before I could say more, my radio crackled, making me pick it up. "Captain Mane."

"We have reports of an unidentified aircraft heading toward Megakat Tower." The dispatch officer said. "Recommend immediate mobilization. Four choppers are en route."

"We'll get out of the way." Miss Briggs said.

"This is Captain Mane, we're on intercept in two." I said. They all moved away as the cockpit slid shut. After warming the engine to minimal safety standards, I took off almost in synch with Lieutenant Feral. We angled around before I spotted the target. "Spotted, coming in from the northeast." I switched to flight mode at half speed. As we got closer, I leaned back. "Jenkins, use the targeting scope to get a look at the pilot."

"On it." He said.

"Captain, that looks like one of our old jets." The lieutenant said. "Really old. Like before my _uncle_ joined over twenty years ago." I watched as it got closer, and I scanned frequencies until I heard something.

"This is Captain Leon Mane, Enforcers." I said. "Pilot of unidentified aircraft, identify yourself." There was a moment's silence.

"Sir, he's pointing at the spot where the radio would be." Jenkins said. "I think it's off… Or he can hear you."

"Pilot, if you can hear me, hold your left hand up, now." I said. I waited.

"He's doing so, sir." Jenkins said.

"Okay, good." I said. "Go to Enforcer Headquarters, land, and get out of your jet with your hands up."

"He's nodding sir." He said.

"We'll escort him, captain." An Enforcer said.

"He's on eight." I said. We pulled behind him and guided him to a pair of jets that turned as well, getting behind us. As we got close to the tower, the lieutenant and I pulled off and the jet was escorted away by choppers as well as the other jets.

"Hopefully the mayor doesn't decide to dock our pay for this." Jenkins said. "I kind of need the money right now." As we landed, I checked the fuel and nodded. I smirked a little.

'Barely a drop in the bucket.' I thought. In truth, from taking off this morning to land here to landing again just then, there was far less than a percent used due to the new fuel made by Professor Hackle, and a new system from Pumadyne made specifically to go with it. Because of how the two worked, the sheer efficiency was more than triple what the old fuel and engines used by the older model I flew before this one was assigned to me. 'I think this jet is going to be the wave of the future. Now, if the professor could make a similar fuel for cars and then Pumadyne make a better engine for them, I think we'd solve the world's fuel issues.'

"Captain, who do you think that pilot was?" Jenkins asked.

"No idea." I said. "You're the one that saw his face, not me."

"But who could get that old jet, let alone, get it airborne?" He asked. "They had decent fuel efficiency for their time, but, it looked…"

"At least twenty some odd years old." I said. "Yeah, I noticed that. Your guess is as good as mine, Jenkins." He was silent for a moment.

"The communication system was, partly offline…" He said. "Do you think it was a trap?"

"If it is, he'll be shot down." I said. "If he's alive, he'll be taken in and questioned. If not, hopefully clues will be there for the CSI teams to work with so they can give us some answers." I leaned back a little more, getting comfortable. "My main issue with this whole thing is that he could hear us, but we couldn't hear him. I'll admit, I have questions of my own. Why that plane was still flying… The paint was scratched, there were a few visible dents and scratches, and I'm sure I saw loose panels on the wings and on the fuselage… Not only should he have been unable to fly, he shouldn't have had the left wing."

"I think you're forgetting how durable those were." The lieutenant said. "My uncle flew four throughout the seven years those were used, and the only reason it was four was because he was reckless the first two, and he made a bad call for the third. After the first year, that fourth was the only one he needed for the other six years."

"That said, I'm not sure…" I said. "Looking at it, either he panels were really as loose as I thought, or something else is going on entirely. I'm almost sure there were bullet holes on the tail end, too… But no smoke or fuel. Old wounds from a battle long fought, maybe."

"You're reading too far into it, Captain." She said. I thought for a moment.

"Probably." I said. "I guess it's the record Megakat City has. Over in Cape Claw, we didn't have 'supervillains' to go toe to toe with. Just the occasional mugger, bank robber, or stuff like that. Here? Giant bugs, plants, and mutated animals, a big purple kat that wants to destroy or take over the city, two gangsters that became robots that won't stay shut down, an alien invasion and giant space bugs, giant scorpions from toxic mutations, and who knows what other problems." She laughed quietly.

"You've gotta admit, without all of that, the city would be pretty boring." She said. I nodded, smiling a little.

"True." I said. "One reason I moved here was exactly that. I've always wanted to be a hero… Then again, what kitten doesn't?"


	3. Fixing a Few Things

**And the third part of the new story, I hope you like it. I have nothing more to say, so… Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to SWAT Kats.  
…**

I set the weight on the rack before getting up, wiping my forehead and letting out a soft breath. Weekends were alright, but I was quick to become restless. With all that had happened over the past week, I had a lot of thoughts. The fact that they were keeping a lid on the mysterious pilot wasn't what was getting to me though. That was something they'd talk about if it was important. If it wasn't, I had nothing to worry about. What did get to me was that my bike was having issues, making an odd noise around the transmission, but that wasn't it. I was going to take it in the moment the garage outside of town opened. They were the best repairmen in the city, hands down. Given that they were ex-Enforcers meant I'd get a discount, but I'd also get to meet the best pilot before Lieutenant Feral joined.

'Just twenty minutes…' I thought. 'Might as well get ready.' As I reached for my pants, my phone rang, so I picked it up instead. "Leon Mane."

"Captain, it's Jenkins." He said. "I've got a problem and, I need some help."

"What kind of problem, and what kind of help?" I asked.

"There is a group of teens causing trouble in the lobby of my hotel." He said. "There are about five or six, but it's not enough to call in the Enforcers. I just need some backup…"

"Just, scare them off." I said.

"Yes, and keep them out." He said. I closed my eyes and thought before sighing quietly.

"Address?" I asked.

"I'll text it." He said. "There's one bothering the desk clerks." He hung up and I pulled on my pants and grabbed my bag, putting my shirt, jacket, and hat in it before grabbing my helmet and putting my sidearm and revolver on.

'Never leave home without protection.' I thought in a dryly amused tone. I walked downstairs with my bag, but at the lobby a few women whistled.

"Whoa, when did we get the He-Kat?" One asked. I walked out and got on my bike, checking my cell phone for the text. After memorizing the address, I started the engine and drove off. Going down the road, the sound was still there.

'After this, garage, no stops unless it's life or death.' I thought. I spun around and slid into the only spot available before tying my bag to the bike and setting my helmet on it, but I put my sunglasses on before walking in. The kids were laughing, and they were younger than me. "Having fun?" They slowly stopped as they looked at me. All but one were girls, and he was dressed in a black leather skirt.

"We are now." The female closest to me said. "Mmm, why didn't we find your home first? We've been looking for a sexy boy like you."

"I hope you're open minded." The male said.

"Unfortunately, I'm here as a favor to a, friend." I said. "You've been causing trouble, not enough to formally involve the Enforcers, but…"

"That won't stop two that are off duty from protecting people from potential danger." Jenkins said. Half looked at him while two girls and the boy started walking toward me.

"Ooh, a kat in uniform." The leader said. "You just get better and better." As they approached, the boy drew a stun baton while the girls pulled out smaller ones. "Just come along quietly, and we'll have a lot of fun."

"Same to you, cutie." A girl approaching Jenkins said. I tapped my pistol, but they just approached undaunted.

"We're minors." The boy said. "Can't shoot us without looking bad."

"But I can do this." I said. He tried to hit me with the baton, but I grabbed it and backhanded him before spinning and getting the closest girl, grabbing her stun gun at the same time. I hit the other girl with both and she dropped, convulsing, before I tossed the longer one to Jenkins. He hit the girl in front of him and I got close and hit one in the back of the neck as the other turned to me, only to receive the stun gun to her shoulder. She dropped and I turned to the owner. "Call the Enforcers." He nodded and picked up the phone as I turned to Jenkins. "Good call." I tossed the stun gun to a woman in the lobby in the corner. "Get some friends and hold them. I've got to go."

"Sir?" Jenkins asked.

"We're off duty, Jenkins." I said.

"Uh, yeah…" He said. "Um, why, did you show up, in pants, and boots, and _nothing_ else?" I shrugged.

"I could have left the pants, but then I'd look strange." I said. "Just a belt with my sidearm, an ankle holster, and my boots? Not exactly legal." I walked out to silence, but as the boy tried to grab my ankle, I kicked his hand.

"I love a guy that plays rough." He said. I walked out and got on my bike, putting my helmet on when I heard a laugh.

"And here I thought Jenkins only called me." Lieutenant Feral said. I looked at her. "Where's your shirt?"

"In my travel bag." I said.

"Going somewhere?" She asked.

"The scrap yard." I said. "The engine sounds off." I gestured to the building. "Jenkins is holding the teens at bay. If he called you, he must have thought it was worse than it was. Stun guns and stun batons." She looked as I started the engine, making her yell.

"Hey, warning next time!" She said, laughing. "Kats' alive. What kind of engine is that?"

"Custom." I said. I gave a casual salute and drove off.  
…

I pulled my shirt on, followed by my jacket, and I walked up to the door. As I knocked, I heard a sound, but I waited. After a few seconds the door was opened and I was greeted by a muscular tabby, though he was taller than me, leaving me face to chest with him, so I looked up.

"Car trouble?" He asked.

"Bike trouble." I said, pointing my thumb at it behind me. "Engine sounds off, around the transmission." He stepped out as I stepped aside. He just whistled.

"Nice." He said. "Old Harley. Fifty three?"

"Yeah." I said. "I redid the engine though. Might be why, but it runs great so far. Only problem is the sound, and when I hear a sound like that, it's getting looked at."

"But you can't find it." He said as he walked over to it. He knelt and looked at it. "What the heck did you do with this? I've never seen anything like it before… It's like… Did you go to Professor Hackle for this?"

"No, all me." I said. I walked around and knelt, pointing at the spot. "This is where it's loudest, but it's got to be an echo." He scratched his head.

"I don't know much about this, but if you say so, we'll give it a listen." He said. "Where's your dad, or your mom?"

"Cape Claw, last I heard." I said as we stood up. He just looked at me. "I left home, joined the flying circus." He laughed for a moment.

"Yeah, the Enforcers must have really lowered their standards to let a _kid_ join." He said. I pulled out my badge and he slowly stopped laughing, until he let out something between a groan of defeat and a laugh. "Oh…" He looked it over. "Yeah, that's the real thing alright. Wait, you're Leon Mane! I've heard about you." He held his hand out. "Chance Furlong." I took his hand after putting the badge in my pocket.

"Nice to meet a fellow ace pilot." I said. He laughed.

"Likewise." He said. "You know, you saved the SWAT Kats a lot of work that day. I saw them flying toward the city just before hearing it on the radio. Must have been a heck of a shot."

"Yeah, but my operator's pretty good." I said. He grabbed the handlebars and put the stand up.

"So, no one's picking you up?" He asked.

"You've never seen this type of engine before." I said. "I figured I'd stay and show you how it works so nothing gets thrown out of whack."

"Hey Chance, who is it?" A voice called.

"Open the garage and see!" Chance called. I followed him as the door opened and he walked in. "Jake, this is Leon Mane, the kid that shot down those bio-freaks the other day."

"You mean the kid that flew the jet?" Jake asked. I held my hand out.

"Captain Mane." I said. "Just call me Leon." He took my hand with a laugh.

"Jake Clawson, Jake to you." He said. He walked in. "So this is yours?"

"A fifty three Harley, modified." Chance said. "Ever see an engine setup like this?" Jake looked it over, scratching his head.

"Not remotely." He said. "Who designed this? It's, genius." Chance pointed at me as I smirked, crossing my arms. "No way."

"I went to this camp from when I was six." I said. "Learned about everything I needed to know about just about everything. Mechanics, engineering, fabricating, you name it. I bought some parts at a store, put it all together, and that engine is the end result." I lowered my arms. "Sank eight hundred dollars and six weeks of my life into that in my neighbor's garage since he was nice enough to let me." They both looked at it before Chance started the engine and revved it a few times, making both wince and back off.

"Whoa, what kind of monster did you create?" Chance asked. "I can't get a _truck_ engine that loud." They looked at the exhaust pipes and stared for a moment.

"Let's just say I know my way around every piece…" I said. "Except that noise in there." They listened to it and revved it again.

"So it's off?" Chance asked.

"Yeah, there's something that doesn't sound like it belongs…" Jake said. He revved it for a few seconds and listened. "I think I might have an idea." He got some tools and went to work on removing a part, and he blew into it before using a flashlight. "Yeah, there's the problem. You didn't cover this part good enough and it got this in there." I looked as he held it out. "What is that?" I pulled out my multitool and used the needle nose pliers to pull it out. "Is that a moth? Sheesh, how'd it even get in there?"

"Must have gotten in at night and died or slept until I started it." I said. "Yeah, a better cover. I figured nothing could get in. Guess I was wrong."

"Might have been there before it became a moth in the first place." Chance said. "Ten minutes, tops, and we'll give you, thirty percent off for what you did the other day, figuring in the usual ten percent off for Enforcers we like." I laughed. "How's that sound? It'll run ya, what, Jake, sixty?"

"Sixty three for parts and labor." He said. "Why don't you have a seat in the lounge and we'll be done by the time the news is over."

"Thanks." I said. "If you run into trouble, let me know. Don't try to tangle with the beast without its maker." They laughed as I walked into the 'lounge' and turned on the television.

"This is Ann Gora, Kat's Eye News." She said. "Less than an hour ago, a group of teens was arrested by authorities for assaulting a pair of Enforcers, revealed to be Private First Class Richard Jenkins, the weapon systems operator for Captain Leon Mane, who was the second intended victim. Eyewitnesses say that Captain Mane arrived on a very loud motorcycle, sliding into a spot before walking in, shirtless, before handily dealing with the thugs, who were apparently intent on kidnapping both him and Jenkins for what some say would have been a rape scenario. The leader of the gang, Tabitha 'Tabby' Lynn, and her brother Nelson 'Nelly' Lynn, were reportedly flirting with Mane and Jenkins." I leaned back. "When the group attacked, the fighting was over in seconds in what was described as 'like an action movie fight scene where the hero defeats a group of nameless flunkies', never taking a hit, and not only disarming them but _using their own weapons against them_ before leaving on his motorcycle, reportedly a jet black nineteen fifty three Harley Davidson, after speaking to Lieutenant Felina Feral. All three officers were off duty, and the attempted kidnapping took place at Jenkins' hotel, apparently starting as Jenkins asking the other two for a favor to get them to go away." Jake walked in and looked before he could speak. "Security footage, seen here, shows Mane in what some say is like a 'scene ripped from a movie that needs to be made'." The fight was shown, and I whistled as it winded down.

"Whoa, she's not kidding." He said. "I'd probably even watch the movie, twice, just for that scene." I laughed quietly.

"Some say the Enforcers are starting to falter in their ability to defend our city." She said. "But from this, I think it's safe to say that they're making a comeback if they start settling for nothing less than half of this young man's skill. This is Ann Gora, Kat's Eye News. Back to you…" He turned the television off.

"We're done faster than we thought." He said. "I had the part right next to me. Saved me the trouble." I got up and pulled out my wallet, fishing out a fifty and a twenty. "I'll get the change."

"Don't worry about it." I said. "I just got a little extra for playing bodyguard for the Megakat Tower, a favor for the mayor. Given its record for being attacked, I don't blame him for asking for us." He laughed.

"Thanks." He said. We walked to the garage as Chance patted the gas tank.

"Should run good as new." He said. "I changed out the spark plugs, free of charge."

"Oh, Chance, remember what happened when you tried to put those in Miss Briggs' car?" Jake asked. "You melted the plugs!"

"Hey, I played it safe this time." Chance said. "I checked his plugs, and they're actually not that far off. They're modified, like ours." I looked at the spark plugs for a moment and started the engine, and it was louder than ever as I revved it. "See!? It's a lot better!" I stopped revving with a smirk. "What do you think?"

"Patent the plugs, sell the design, live like kings." I said. "Muscle car kats will buy them by the case." They laughed. "Thanks guys. I'll definitely be back later when I need a tune up." I walked the bike out and spotted some destroyed jet parts. "Maybe sooner. I like to tinker around with good parts to see if I can make something useful out of them."

"What a coincidence." Jake said quietly.

"See you around, captain." Chance said. "Say hey to Felina if you see her."

"Will do." I said. I put my helmet on and revved the engine twice before driving off, faster than ever before. As I got used to it, I smirked. As I got to the city, I felt my phone vibrating, so I pulled off to the side near a diner and pulled the phone out, putting it under the helmet. "Leon Mane."

"Captain, this is Commander Feral." He said. "I've got news on the mystery pilot you sent to headquarters. Get here as soon as possible. This might be important."

"On my way, sir." I said.

"You have my permission to run any red lights on the way, but be careful." He said. I nodded.

"Understood, sir." I said. I put the phone away and gunned it through the intersection just as the light turned red. I turned down the streets fast and smiled. 'Thanks for the upgrade, guys. I'll be back when I've got enough for some decent parts.'  
…

"Now that you're all here, this is our mystery pilot, still unnamed." He said. "A guest from way out in the middle of the desert, at a deserted facility. He couldn't find a name, but it had the word 'camp' written in various places."

'Camp?' I thought. 'Strange…'

"This 'camp' had various buildings with weapons and vehicles." He continued. "Among them, fighter jets and choppers in hangars, and tanks and other vehicles. He dragged this jet in because of one important thing."

'There were no cockpits.' I thought sarcastically.

"The jets and choppers had no cockpits." He said. "And the tanks had no entry hatches." I sat up a little, but thankfully there were others. "I'm preparing a 'visit' to this place to gather as much of this technology as possible. If he's telling the truth, then this 'camp' might have been a military installation and all of its vehicles made worthless by filling in the cockpits and control areas and sealing them shut to look as though they were made that way." He looked us over. "Captain Mane, you'll be going with Lieutenant Feral in the prototypes while we send in a convoy to pick everything up, including heavy choppers to airlift some of the tech here, and a cargo plane for the tanks." I nodded. "Jenkins and Maxwell will accompany just in case. There are no defense measures known, but don't let your guard down for a moment. You'll go in with full weapons and armor."

"Sir, what if there's a serious emergency requiring the captain or the lieutenant?" A kat asked.

"_I_ will handle it." Commander Feral said. "And if worst comes to worst, I suppose, the SWAT Kats always seem to show up when there's _trouble_." He looked around. "All of you save for Mane and Feral are dismissed." Everyone got up and left, and when the door closed, he looked at me and the lieutenant. "Lieutenant." He held out a box to her, which she took. "Due to the nature of this mission, I want everything documented. Mount that camera to your helmet and look everywhere. If there is even a hint of danger, be careful and only attack if you have no other choice. We've been sitting on this information since yesterday, because the boys and girls at Pumadyne wanted to keep the facility intact. From the descriptions, everything is mostly intact, save for a little weather damage here and some paint peeling on the buildings." He turned to me. "Mane, your job is to back the lieutenant up. Follow her orders, keep your operator in line, and if you see something you don't understand, _don't touch it_." I nodded.

"Understood, sir." I said. "One question."

"Ask." He said.

"Were the jets described in any detail apart from not having cockpits?" I asked.

"No." He said. "The kat only said that he knew how to start the fighter, fly it here, and land it. The jet was, damaged from a fight, years ago, abandoned in the desert, earlier than we thought, somewhere around three years ago… The pilot was a skeleton at that point, nametag ripped off… With a bullet in his forehead. It was within walking distance of the compound." I thought for a few minutes. "The body is in the hangar bay, near some tools. I want that body back here to be identified if it's at all possible. If not, 'Captain' John Doe will receive a proper burial befitting his status of being shot down, with honor."


	4. Ghosts, Memories, and History

**As you might have guessed, the young captain has his share of secrets, and more will be unearthed as we go. What has he gone through? What made him who he is? How does a seventeen year old liger get to be an Enforcer, let alone a captain inside of six months? All this and more, in later chapters. Enjoy this one in the meantime.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron. I'm sad it was cancelled, but maybe someday it'll be back, better than ever, but hopefully with similar animation.  
…**

"_Sir, we've got a problem." My operator said._

"_Now's not a good time." I said. "I need to get this paperwork done."_

"_Sir, there's a jet from Megakat city fighting off our point defense pilots." He said. I looked at him, turning back in the chair. "We need you to take him out, now." I got up and followed him to the VR room. "If he gets a moment, he'll escape and blow our cover. We've thoroughly jammed his comm. system, but it's only a matter of time before he spots an opening. He's, good. In a twenty year old jet." I whistled as I opened the pod._

"_Good enough to give me a run?" I asked._

"_No one's that good, sir." He said. I got in and put on the interface helmet. "Good to go." He closed it and walked away when my radio pinged._

"_Go for Mane." I said._

"_Hey, hope you haven't forgotten about our date tonight." My second in command said._

"_Not for all the points in the system." I said. She giggled shyly._

"_You know, tonight…" She said softly. "I, want to kiss you… If you'll allow, Colonel Mane."_

"_Permission granted, Major Pepper." I said confidently. "I just need to shoot down a minor threat, and finish my paperwork. I'll meet you at the designated coordinates, with my brass polished." The screen lit up._

"_Okay you two, enough sweet talk." Headmaster Arnold said. "Colonel Mane, take down the target, and we'll deal with him. Aim for the tail and knock him off balance. We'll go out and handle the rest." I activated the controls and took off in the jet, spotting the target instantly._

"_He's slipped the net!" My operator said. I flew at an angle and fired at him, but missed. "What?" I followed as the others kept up, but couldn't pass him. As they shot, I fired where he was going, and hit the tail end, disabling the controls, and he spun out before crashing into the sand. "Great work as always, colonel." I did a flyby as the pilot didn't get out. "He'll be out for at least a few hours. Come on home, everyone. Mission complete." We flew back, and after landing and shutting everything down, I opened the door and stepped out to cheers, but as I waved, I raised and touched my watch._

"_Gotta go." I said. "I've got paperwork to finish, and a girlfriend to romance this evening." They laughed as I spun in the middle of a jump and jogged to my room. 'Pepper, tonight, we're going to have a wonderful time, and maybe, one day, we'll be married…' I sighed as I sat down and focused on the paperwork, but just as I finished and set the pen down, someone covered my eyes._

"_Guess who." She said sweetly. I pretended to be in thought._

"_Sarah Jane?" I said. She giggled._

"_Guess again." She said. I smiled._

"_Katie Jones." I said. She laughed. "No, her voice doesn't sound like an angel singing." She smiled and I held my hand up, taking hers. "Major Holly Pepper." She moved around carefully to sit on my lap after letting me see._

"_You win a prize for that little comment." She said sweetly. She moved in and hugged me, and I rubbed her back softly. As we held one another, she began purring softly. "You know, I've been thinking. I'm your second in command, and I'm also your girlfriend… If you had to have me in just one of those capacities?"_

"_I'd want you here, with me." I said. She laughed softly._

"_That's not an answer." She said. "But I like the way you said it, and I'll assume you mean, girlfriend." I looked into her eyes as she moved back. "I'm being transferred to a new team that's coming in next week, after your birthday, in fact. I guess, we'll still see each other in the sky, just, not as often." I took her hand._

"_In the sky or down here on earth, I just want to be by your side." I said. She smiled and leaned in, our foreheads touching lightly._

"_Just for that, you get this early." She said softly, just as she kissed me. Our eyes closed and I held her, until I heard a familiar sound._  
…

"Captain, report." Lieutenant Feral said. I calmed down and let out a breath as I looked at the room.

"Area clear." I said calmly. "Just some cobwebs and empty rooms." I put the letters away silently into my secondary pack.

"Sounds like you were distracted for a second." She said. "What was it?"

"Thought I saw something under one of the beds." I said. "Just ghosts and memories." I stepped out of the room after removing a picture from a frame and putting it in my shirt pocket, closing it and buttoning it. "This place smells like, old jet fuel and ghost breath." I walked down the hall toward the room with the pods, and she was standing at one with an omega symbol on it.

"What do you make of these?" She asked. I walked over and looked at the one she was standing by. "Looks like a detached cockpit. Think they were assembling the jets and were making these separate?"

"No, they've got wires hooked up." I said.

"Programming?" She suggested. I shrugged.

"Goes without saying." I said. "But is it to program systems, or to run them?" She nodded slowly. "Anything apart from the memories of whoever else was here?"

"Yeah, something strange." She said, holding out a paper to me. "Promotion orders for a woman named Major, or, after this, Lieutenant Colonel Pepper."

"_Great work, Lieutenant Colonel Pepper."_ My voice said in an echoed tone in my mind.

"Signed by 'Headmaster' Jacob Arnold." She said.

"_You are hereby promoted to General."_ His voice said in my mind, also echoed.

"Something's just not right here, and it's not just this." She said. "There's dried blood stains on the floor, shell casings without markings, but no bodies and no evidence of damage to the walls, like the kats that were here just, gave up and took the bullets as they came." I put my hand to my chin as sounds played in my head, gunfire that was muffled by the sound of missiles and encouraging words in a headset. "But this is by far the most interesting part. Look at the age on this promotion report." I looked at it as she handed it to me, and she pointed. "Lieutenant Colonel Pepper was only sixteen, three days to her birthday when she was promoted." I stared at the paper before turning it over. "I don't get it. What went on here?"

"I suspect the answers are above our pay grade." I said calmly. "Whatever went on here, it's over, but that mystery kat was here, revived an old fighter jet, and flew it back without the comm. systems working at all… Not even a cell phone."

"What?" She asked.

"No cell phone." I said. "Who, in this day and age, doesn't have a cell phone?"

"I, guess…" She started. "Well, he was flying a jet. Could you work a phone and pay attention to fly?" I shrugged and she laughed. "Okay, scratch that, _you_ could. But how many other kats have that kind of skill?" I put the folder down on a table and we walked outside. "Something is wrong _here_. This place is littered with shell casings and blood, no physical damage at all to anything. Either the attackers fixed everything up but didn't police the brass, or every kat here just stood still and allowed themselves to be executed."

"If they didn't commit suicide at the time of the attack." I said. "Unmarked brass, maybe they had custom ammo made on-site, so they see trouble coming, and proceed to start emptying rounds into their own heads, or their friends so they don't have to burn in hell." I shrugged. "Not enough evidence to work with, and way too little information. We don't know who ran the place, who worked here, or even what they were doing." She nodded as we walked a ways. "But something's not right… I can feel it." Jenkins walked over and pointed at the motor pool.

"The jets have no cockpits, but there was something way stranger." He said. "There was a jet that was open, and there was a metal skeleton inside, like, a robot skeleton." We stared and followed him. "It's, a little dusty, but it's a kat skeleton made of metal, with pistons and servos and all kinds of circuits and wires hooked up to it." We walked in and he pointed, so we walked up to the jet and climbed up.

"Holy kats…" She said breathlessly. I looked the 'cockpit' over for a few moments. "Is this the pilot? Did they, make robots to fly them?" I thought about how to phrase it.

"Or…" I said. "Those, cockpits in that building." I turned. "What if they're exactly that? Cockpits. You climb in one of those, and it reads your movements inside, and when you activate a control, the robot in here mimics that." She blinked, but nodded. "That way, you could have a pilot, a couple of miles away, and have them safe and comfortable in a cockpit, but still have a fighter out _there_." I pointed out toward the desert.

"Then, if there were ten pods…" She said.

"This is a five square mile facility." Jenkins said. "Give or take. There could be dozens more, hundreds, in the other buildings… And the tanks."

"If the tanks are just like these, with robot skeletons, or something like it…" I said.

"Then, what?" She asked. I shrugged and dropped down with her. "Remote control fighters? Remote, tank drivers?"

"Why not?" I said. "It'd make sense, if I'm right about the 'cockpits' inside." Our radios beeped and she pressed the button on hers.

"This is Lieutenant Feral, what's going on?" She asked.

"We've got activity in the desert!" An Enforcer said quickly. "Strange silver jets just, came out of nowhere!"

"_We've got strange silver fighters coming out of the desert!"_ A frantic voice echoed in my mind. _"They just, they jus… Just came, out of nowhere, aaghh!"_

"Impossible…" I said under my breath.

"It's like…" He started, but I pressed my comm. button.

"Bank left!" I said quickly. "Do it!" I heard the sound of a missile exploding and a relieved laugh.

"Thank you!" He said gratefully. "Thank you _so much_!" I looked at the building.

"How did you know which way he should have gone?" Jenkins asked.

"Lucky guess." I said. "Time to see if my theory is right."

"You don't think…" She started.

"We won't know if we don't try." I said. I ran to the building with them in tow as Maxwell caught up with us. The lieutenant filled him in while I slid by the pod with the omega on it. "Okay, uh…" Thoughts raced and I pressed a series of buttons. "Okay, password protected…" The pod opened. "Five, five, six, seven, six, two."

"How did you know that, it wasn't in the jacket I handed you!" The lieutenant called.

"Two rifle calibers, they're usually my go-to random guess for number codes." I said. I climbed in and saw that the pod was online. "Okay… Looks like they're, online… And linked. Try the helmets." I set mine down and picked up the one inside, and put it on.

"Hey, I see, like I'm outside." Jenkins said.

"Me too." Maxwell said.

"Good thing we all know how to fly…" I said. I closed the pod. "Shut the panels and get airborne… Hopefully we won't get shot at by our own side." I taxied the fighter out and saw the others. "This is a lot easier with a traffic controller." We flew down the runway before getting airborne, and we turned toward the fighting. "Comm. check, Mane. Anyone out there?"

"Feral, I read you loud and clear." She said.

"Jenkins, copy that." He said.

"Maxwell, I read everyone crystal clear." He said. "Strangely, clear… It's like however long they've sat here, collecting dust, they're still as good as when they were built. I'm… I can't believe it."

"Check your weapons." I said. "I'm seeing, Vulcan machine guns, and six missiles and two fifty shot rocket pods on each wing. Twelve and two hundred."

"Likewise." The lieutenant said. "Jenkins, patch us all through to the Enforcers and transmit our IFFs."

"I've been trying, ma'am." He said. "We don't have any."

"Great." I said. "Patch the communication system then. They can track that."

"_They've tapped into our comm. system, sir."_ A voice echoed. _"They might be able to…"_

"_Now, now, you know they can't."_ A calmer voice said. _"We've taken every precaution, erected the force field to be invisible. We're entirely safe, all of our bases. We're just, fine."_

"This is Feral, what's going on?" The commander said.

"Sir, we're engaging the enemy." Jenkins said.

"Negative, return to that facility!" The commander said angrily.

"Sir, all due respect, that's where we are." I said. "It's a long story, but the short version is the jets without cockpits have robotic skeletons inside that fly them in a simulated cockpit that seals seamlessly, and they're piloted by remote from inside another building. The four of us are taking four up. Lucky for us the pods we took were pre-linked to four fighters." He was silent.

"Unbelievable." He said after a moment. "Fine, but don't use them all if you can figure out how to fly more. Feral, out." We flew in and I let my reflexes take over, dodging fire from both sides until only the enemy was firing on us. They were far more advanced looking, with new weapons. We just had fire linked seven point six two millimeter machine guns, but they were decidedly armor piercing.

"Okay, here we go…" I said under my breath. "Just like any other jet."

"No kidding." The lieutenant said. "It's like we're actually inside the jets. These pods, react."

"I guess that means we get a more realistic experience and can tell through spatial awareness." I said. "If we get hit, we'll know when we're in trouble by feel." She laughed as I shot a few down in short order. "Do these look like, the one's we're in?"

"Yeah, they do." She said. "You don't think these are their hand-me-downs?" I was silent. "Mane?"

"It's as good a guess as I've got right now." I said. Without warning, the strange silver jets started backing off and leaving. "Where are they going?"

"Follow them." The commander said. "We're en route, so the four of you take after them…" There was a warning klaxon. "What's that?" I looked up as a red light flashed in the display.

"Damn." I said under my breath. "Sorry sir, no can do. We're low on power. Either the jets run on some kind of system instead of fuel, or the pods are about to die, or we're using up the last of the base's power source."

"Fall back." He said after a moment. "Land them. I don't want to lose these. They're too valuable for what we can learn." We turned back, save for the lieutenant. "Lieutenant, that's not an order. It's a request." She was silent. "Please, there's nothing to be gained at this point. You'll crash land and give _them_ something instead of the other way around."

"Returning to base." She said after a moment. She flew toward us as I landed, slowing to a halt near the hangar. I shut the pod down and took the helmet off, getting out calmly. As I did, I put my own helmet back on and closed it. After they got out, I pointed outside.

"Jenkins, Maxwell, roll out the welcome mat for the cleaning crew." I said. "We'll see what we can get from the computers." They saluted and walked out quickly as the lieutenant walked up to me and suddenly put me against the pod. "Ma'am…"

"Shut up." She said. "What the hell was that?"

"What was what?" I asked, honestly confused.

"Five, five, six, seven, six, two." She said. "Your two favorite bullet calibers? Random picks? _No one_ is that lucky." I thought for a moment and looked away, spotting what I needed. She followed and set me down. "No…" An LED screen reading the exact numbers written in paper below the screen and the words 'Pod Passwords for' with the date burned out. "Did you spot that?"

"On the way in." I said. "The numbers , not the 'pod password' part, but, I put two and two together. I said what I said for Jenkins and Maxwell, ma'am. There wasn't time to explain properly." She suddenly picked me up by my collar again. "Ma'am…"

"I couldn't find the weapon display." She said. "I looked at your fighter and figured out that I had the same loadout. It only made sense, but then, you figured out we could improvise a tracking system for the Enforcers using the comm. system. How did you know that would work?"

"I didn't." I said. "I figured, why not try? If all else failed, Commander Feral and the others would see that we were talking from the base."

"We weren't, the signal would have been routed to the plane, to hide the base." She said. "This place isn't on a map, we didn't know about it until the mystery pilot told us, so how did you know how to get around so fast? You didn't even look surprised when we saw the fighters, or the cockpits." I was silent until she set me down, and I fixed my jacket after she let go.

"Maybe I'm just not the type to get surprised about seeing 'ghosts'." I said. I walked over to a console and looked it over before typing in commands. "Maybe I saw this place in a dream, or maybe, just maybe, I watch too many mystery and science fiction shows on TV and this kind of thing just seems lackluster by comparison." I looked through the files carefully.

"You know, I wonder." She said. "You got in that pod, knew what buttons to press, to put on the helmet, and how to fly that jet like you'd done it before. I was barely keeping out of range of their shots, and you were flying that thing just like our jets, dodging missiles, rockets, and lasers, like everything was in slow motion."

"Adrenaline does that." I said. "I felt like, I was really in that jet. Once you learn to fly a fighter, you never forget." She was silent as she walked over to the terminal a few feet to my right as I looked through the files, and when one came up, it was corrupted, but salvageable. "I've got a corrupted file here. Might be able to get bits and pieces out of it… Might spread though."

"Keep it." She said. "We'll run it." I pulled out a memory unit and plugged it in as she did the same, and I put it in with some encryption standard to the system, filing it as the last one. "Unbelievable. I'm getting encrypted files left and right here… It'll take months to go through it all, with _all_ of our tech teams working together day and night."

"This place must have been something special to someone." I said. "I'm done with the files on this one. I've still got some free space, but I need another flash drive." She tossed me one as I pulled the one out, and I shut the terminal down as the trucks came in. I moved to the one to my left and she made a sound.

"Let's keep the whole, pushing you against the pod thing, a secret, never happened…" She said.

"What?" I asked. "What never happened?"

"Exactly." She said.


	5. The Past Keeps Calling

I coughed a few times before spitting the hairball into the trash can, and I hacked up one last small one before drinking the remedy.

"Ugh, what a day for the air conditioning to break." I said bitterly. I walked over to the window and sat by the fan, sighing quietly. But just as I started getting comfortable, the phone rang. "Unbelievable." I got up and walked over, picking it up, and I calmed down. "Leon Mane."

"Captain Mane, this is Ann Gora, Kat's Eye News." She said. "After hearing about the recent events in the desert, I wanted to know if you'd consider an interview."

"I'm afraid not, Miss Gora." I said. "The commander's keeping us all under lock and key about it until we sift through the information. If we let out details and weren't totally sure about them, it could cause unnecessary panic, and no one wants that to happen to the city. When we know everything, I'll give you an exclusive if the commander green lights it. If he doesn't, I'll tell you what I can."

"Promise?" She asked.

"I can't make one, but I'll see what I can do." I said. "_That_, I can promise."

"Thank you, but one more thing." She said.

"I've got plenty of time." I said.

"I've heard rumors that your parents are unaware of your location." She said. "There's an old 'missing kat' file regarding you from ten years ago that was abandoned six years ago. Are you aware of this?"

"No, I wasn't." I said honestly.

"Would you be willing to allow us to bring your parents here to meet with you?" She asked. "A reunion after so many years? It's a ten year old case, and I'd like to give them some good news."

"No." I said after a moment. "They've buried everything but a body by now. I don't think they could handle it. Their son, all grown up, an Enforcer pilot, a job some say is tantamount to having a death wish these days… I don't want to put them through that. And, I grew up without them. I don't know who they really are, or what they're like. I would be like a stranger to them, as they would be to me…" She was silent for a moment. "I know they would appreciate the sentiment, and they would be happy, but, this is one of the few times where the truth might cause more harm than good. I would like them to be happy, but, at some point, how long is too long?"

"If you ever decide to try, let me know." She said after a minute. "I'll drive you there personally, without the cameras until you and your parents are ready."

"Thank you." I said.

"Sorry to bother you." She said.

"It's no bother, Miss Gora." I said kindly. "And when I know something about the desert mission's results, I'll try to find non-classified things that are okay to pass along."

"Goodbye for now." She said. She hung up and I set the phone up before sitting on the couch.

"I might spring for a cordless." I said tiredly. But just as I sat, there was a knock at the door. 'Why am I popular?' I got up and pulled my pants on, but decided to forgo my shirt again. As I walked over to the door, there was another knock. "Just a second." I looked through the peephole and saw a large upper torso with a familiar badge. "Sir." I opened the door and he held something out to me. As I took it, I looked up at him.

"The report on the fighters we salvaged, and the fighters you flew." He said. I stepped back as he walked in. "No air conditioner?"

"It went out." I said. "Died without any warning." I looked over the files, checking the comparisons between our normal jets, the new models, and the two silver models. "They can't figure out the thruster systems…"

"And that's a problem." He said. "But given their level of technology, we're sending the specs to Pumadyne and Professor Hackle, just to be safe. Once we figure it out, we should be able to reverse engineer it and add it to our fighters, along with the lasers and sonic cannons." I looked at that line just before he said it.

"Sonic…" I said. "Wow. I thought that was science fiction at best." He nodded. "Lasers, I can see, I've used a few… But sound as a weapon, that's new."

"Indeed." He said. "Keep looking." I looked down and saw two metal skeletons, but the set from the jet I was in was nowhere near as advanced as the one from the other. "You said those skeletons were the remote 'pilots'?" I nodded as he looked at me. "Then that means that the jets attacking us, were remote controlled from somewhere else. Given that you ran out of power before you could chase them, how far could they have come from?" I thought for a moment.

"It's anyone's guess." I said. "Depending on the strength of the signal… Given that today we route calls in real time through satellites across the globe, they could be anywhere in the world." He grunted. "But this second skeleton… It looks, different."

"It sat up and tried to grab one of our scientists and kept saying something." He said. "But it was so mangled and garbled all we caught was that it was 'looking for', and then it cut out. We couldn't record it in time and the data core apparently self 'purged' immediately after it shut down for good. There's no telling if it was just looking for a signal, or a person." I looked down the pages and went to the next set. "As for the remote pods, Pumadyne is analyzing them now, but they say that they draw a lot of power. If they can make more, we'll lose less Enforcers, but it would be harder to make arrests. Jets only, if we can afford it." I looked along the pages. "There are some pretty heavy encryption on the files, as well, a lot of them. The oldest is ten years old, and the most recent…" I looked at the file. "A year and a half ago. The one file not heavily encrypted, says that they were attacked days after that, but no information beyond that. Just 'attacked, surrendering in exchange for silence about the program, the colonel must not be claimed'."

"_You're not on our list."_ A harsh voice said. _"Terms of the surrender, this place is shut down until someone else finds it, you and a few others go free. Lucky you."_

"From the looks of things, it's just one big mystery." He said. "But we _will_ crack the codes and figure out what that facility was used for. Once we figure that out, we'll be a step closer to figuring out who attacked us when we were trying to investigate the base." I nodded, but looked up. "We'll figure out who they are, where they are, and how to take them out of the skies."

"A request, sir." I said. He looked at me. "When we find them, I'd like to spearhead the attack from the air."

"Why?" He asked.

"They threw a sucker punch, sir." I said. "We'll throw one of our own, and I want to be the first one in." He smiled a little.

"Alright." He said. "When we go after them, _if_ we go after them, you'll lead the charge by a good thirty seconds."  
…

I stared at the files, having been given just enough clearance due to my part in acquiring it. As I went through it, more information came to mind. Names were redacted to initials, and that was all for everything but rank most of the time. Several names were there, some familiar, some not.

"Captain?" Jenkins asked. I drank a little milk as I went down the file calmly. "What's that?"

"Files that we brought back." I said. "Just looking at what wasn't encrypted… Too bad any mentions are rarely names. Mostly rank and initials, or titles, and in a few cases… Listen to this. March sixteen, six years ago." He sat down on the chair by mine. "Sergeant Major M. is showing increasing prowess in all areas, from increased reaction time to rapidly improving skills. It would seem that he is a prodigy when he's in the air, and he seems quite happy when he is. When in the air, he is known to smile more, wags his tail behind him, and becomes very excited, but is able to contain it and direct it into focus like nothing we have seen before him. Due to this, it is recommended he be given further improvements to his fighters, custom models just for him with the latest, most advanced technology." I looked up slightly. "Sounds a little like me."

"How's that?" He asked.

"I love to fly, like, I belong in the air." I said. "Maybe I was meant to be born a bird, yet was made a kat so I could truly understand and enjoy it." He laughed as I looked down. "The chemical treatments we are giving him, have increased his physical strength by a small margin more than usual, putting him thirteen percent above the others, while his muscles barely grow at all. The concentrated formula seems to be exactly what we sought, and will be given to the next groups that we gather…"

"Chemicals…" The lieutenant said quietly. Jenkins proceeded to jump out of his seat and land on the ground with an audible thud. She promptly took his seat. "Does it say what?" I looked at the page.

"Several…" I said. "A synthesized muscle protein similar to the growth hormone the body produces naturally, something to improve the eyes they called the 'acuity enhancement serum', and a great many others…" I cleared my throat slightly. "According to our projected estimates, Sergeant Major M. is going to be somewhere above three times as strong as a kat his size and age should be, and his muscles will require minimal rest, allowing him to be physically active for upwards of solid hours at a time, and need much less time to recover, meaning physical exercise to increase his strength will be far more efficient. Instead of two or three half hour routines of vigorous exercise per week, it is not impossible for the major to exercise for upwards of two whole hours with six hours to recover between, meaning four possible hours per day, totaling twenty eight per week…" She whistled. "Estimated that several months of exercise would allow him to lift upwards of three times his body weight easily, and still be able to perform precision tasks without causing even minor damage. With this in mind, should he ever engage in hand to hand combat, it would easily allow for rapid deconstruction of threats."

"Hopefully we don't run into _him_ in a dark alley on a bad day." The lieutenant said. "So, using chemical treatments to augment a soldier?"

"Apparently." I said. "From what I can see, they made him the equivalent of three kats his size and age. He's stronger, faster, and has better vision than just about any other notable soldier…"

"Does it give his age?" She asked.

"The day before the last, it was noted that he had recently turned, sixteen." I said.

"What?" She asked.

"The earliest report of his abilities was when he was a sergeant." I said. "At the age of, twelve."

"Twelve?" Jenkins asked. "Whoa, wait, you're saying, they were using, children, as soldiers?"

"Other countries have, for a long time." The lieutenant said. "But it's always just, sickening."

"Barring the fact that they were using remote drones." I said. I turned the page. "They were kept safe, far from combat, and, according to these reports, treated like they were at a daycare facility, and then a center for abandoned children… From what I can tell, when they weren't remote piloting the jets and tanks, they were mostly just hanging out and acting like it was a school. They used higher standards than their ages were meant to be, but they also had everything a school would have." She looked over my shoulder. "I'm not condoning what they did, but it was far from a cruel facility that trained killers and murderers."

"Still, I'm not comfortable with this, at all." She said. "That might mean that if those other jets really were from another facility that wasn't shut down, or a revived version of what was going on, then we were fighting children up there."

"Using the same method they were using." I said. She was silent as I pointed. "Look here. Lieutenant Colonel M. is noted to be their best pilot, having a record of only being shot down three times, but having a total confirmed accuracy of over ninety percent from the first time he's flown to the last, and over, five hundred confirmed shot down targets, four hundred and seventy of which are confirmed kills."

"Good lord…" Jenkins said quietly. "Over, four years?"

"Or more." I said. "It doesn't say when he started. Odds are, you don't start off as a sergeant."

"You did." The lieutenant said.

"Barring my skills granting me my job far earlier than other pilots, and getting my rank." I said. "You don't start off as a sergeant in a secret military facility. There were younger pilots with decent records. One of which had sixty missions by the age of ten. Unknown when he or she started."

"You know, that lieutenant colonel might be female." Jenkins said. "It could be misinformation?"

"Doubtful." I said. "They surrendered. Why falsify information?"

"To protect the colonel." The lieutenant said. I shrugged.

"Whatever the case, all this means little without a name." I said. "There's no telling who is who in this, mess. This paperwork doesn't really do more than mention what they did to these kids."

"You know, we're not much better." She said. "I mean, you're not exactly an adult here."

"No, but I wanted this." I said. "This is where I belong. Even if I'm fired due to my age, as soon as I'm eighteen, Commander Feral would likely hire me again, probably right on my birthday." I looked at the papers and got to the last part before closing it and putting it on the tray in front of me. As I went to speak, the alarm klaxon started, so I stood up and turned to the jet. Jenkins was climbing up the steps so I jumped into my seat while the lieutenant ran toward her jet. As I prepared the systems, the radio crackled before it went quiet, for a second.

"This is Feral, we've got a break-in at Pumadyne!" He said. "Unknown suspect or suspects, presumed lethal. The security systems are already down, but the last radio transmission was laden with gunfire. Go in ready for a fight. Choppers at the ready, and the VTOL unit standing by near the gates."

"That's us." Jenkins said.

"Sounds right." I said. The lieutenant took off first while I took off with the hover mode and turned toward Pumadyne while the lieutenant took a fairly sharp turn. As I switched, the comm. came on in my helmet.

"Captain, if at all possible, try not to damage the facility further." The commander said. "That goes to everyone, but I want you to know that you and Felina have leave to do whatever you see as necessary to neutralize the threat."

"Understood, sir." I said. "Whatever or whoever it is, the Enforcers can handle it." I flew up close to the lieutenant at an angle, and I saw some damage to the facility.

"What could have…" She started. "Wait, look, over by the gate!" I looked and zoomed in with the targeting scope. "Is that, the Metallikat Express? How could they have come back? They were destroyed by that out of control 'Zed' thing a couple of years ago. I thought they were gone for good."

"That's what the news said the first three times." I said. "My guess, we'll be stuck with them until the head units are destroyed. But it explains the reports."

"I can't believe we're fighting the Metallikats." Jenkins said. "We don't have specialized missiles, like the SWAT Kats. What do we do if our weapons don't work?"

"Hit them with the heavy gatling laser." I said. "If that doesn't work, hit them with whatever we've got to throw them back until we come up with a plan." We switched to hover, and I moved around to the courtyard to cover the other angle, but I turned. "This is Captain Mane, we've discovered a possible link to the potential suspects. The Metallikat's hover car has been spotted. Recommend extreme caution…" An explosion made me spin around, and I zoomed in again. As smoke began clearing, they walked out. Mac and Molly Mange, the Metallikats, revived yet again, but they seemed different. They had bigger weapons, and Mac looked like he had bigger claws. "Confirmed that the Metallikats are the threat! Repeat, the Metallikats are back!" I took aim, when the impossible happened. They lowered their weapons to the ground and walked out, their hands in the air.

"What are they doing?" The lieutenant asked. Mac's face appeared on my screen.

"Hey, Enforcers, just so ya know, we've got something you want." He said. "Information that you can't pass up. We'll tell you, but you let us leave, and we'll never come back." Molly's face appeared next to his.

"Yeah, this is one thing you won't want to let go." She said. "We'll tell ya no matter what, 'cause we want this to be known to the whole city."

"Commander, orders?" I asked.

"Wait for backup, but land, captain." He said. I slowly landed, weapons trained on the Metallikats. "There's a scientist headed your way with a 'Neuro-Neutralizer'. It will shut them down, and this time, we're melting them." I slid the canopy back.

"Sir?" Jenkins asked.

"Let me handle this." I said. I got up as the scientist got near. "Get on the gatling guns." I got out and the woman handed me a pistol shaped device.

"Just point it at them and pull the trigger." She said. "It will disable their bodies and shut down all of their systems, and hopefully erase their memory banks for good." I turned and started walking. "Be careful." As I got closer, the Metallikats kept their hands up. When I stopped, so did they.

"New bodies." I said. "How did you survive Zed?"

"We were combined with stuff." Molly said. "I had some kind o' gardenin' tool on my arm, and Mac got mixed wit a food processer."

"Look, you need the information we got for ya, and we'll fight our way out, if we have to." Mac said. "But for once, we just want to go. We needed these bodies, and that's it. You let us go, you never hear from us again. What's the point of money when you can't spend it or use it, right?"

"It's hard to believe when you're dealing with gangster robots." I said.

"Tell ya what, we tell you, you decide what to do wit it, _captain_." Molly said. "Try to use that gizmo or don't, we don't care. We've been scrapped too many times, died before dat from drownin'. This is just one more thing we can come back from someday." I moved my fingers along the handgrip. "Just turn off the radio, so _you_ can make the choice instead o' Feral."

"Yeah, and after that, shoot or let us walk." He said. "You decide."

"Commander?" I asked. He grumbled quietly.

"I don't deal with scum." He said. "But they're unarmed. Dangerous, but, you have the advantage. Hear them out, alone. I don't care what they say, but don't let them go." I turned off the radio and removed my helmet, dropping it.

"Say your piece." I said. "If you did this much damage just to give us a message, I'd say it's worth hearing you out before I shut you down again."

"The identities, of the SWAT Kats." Mac said. I stared, keeping a straight face. "Yeah, we found out once, and Feral blasted us, made us forget. But we re-unlocked it, after a couple o' years workin' on makin' new bodies. Once we remembered, we decided, get military bodies, and spread the word. Even if that makes us forget again, we'll tell you exactly who the SWAT Kats are." Molly pointed toward the city.

"You know that scrap yard outside o' town?" She asked. "There's a secret hangar in the back. They're under it, under the big magnet. Check it for yourself if you don't take our word. Those mechanics are really the SWAT Kats." I fingered the trigger for a moment. "So, how do ya like them apples? The guys that take in all that scrap from the Enforcers are usin' it to make missiles and stuff, just to make you look bad."

"Those bozos are better than you are, and you're lettin' 'em get better every time you _fail_." Mac said.

"For what it's worth, if they _could_ build a working jet out of scrap, they're good enough." I said. "Ex-Enforcers, better then than I am now." I raised the pistol and they moved back. "But the Enforcers don't make deals with criminals. Don't take it personally, it's just our policy."

"Heh, we won't hold it against _you_, this time." Mac said.

"_Nighty night_." Molly said in a singing tone. I fired the neutralizer and they hit the ground. As I lowered it, I thought on their words. There was enough scrap, and they had the ability, but did either of them, even together, have the knowhow to build a jet, maintain it, and build all of the stuff they had?


	6. A Usual Hangout

**I'm enjoying writing this, so I hope you are all enjoying it, and if so, please tell me, or let me know how you think I could improve. I even take new OCs if you want to submit them, though I do have to be sure I know where I can put them in, if I can. I've a ways to go before any new ones can be added, but I'm always happy for any help.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron. Thank you, enjoy, and have a good day.  
…**

"Well, captain?" The commander asked. "What did they say?"

"They said they know the secret identity of the SWAT Kats." I said. "But I don't think I believe them."

"They said the same to me, before I wiped their memories." He said.

"Did they tell you who?" I asked.

"No, and I wouldn't believe them anyway, and nor should you." He said. "There's something strange about how they were behaving, but I'm pretty sure it was just something to throw us off our guard… But _why_?" I put the neutralizer on the table.

"Regardless, we should keep this." I said. "I might follow up on their information, just to be safe."

"Do it on your own time, then." He said. "I refuse to believe anything they say, or even hear it." I nodded. "I'm just glad it went that easily this time." He looked out of the window at the city. "There's a rise in criminal activity, and the city's only hope is that we remain on guard while we put them away. We need to show the city that we're capable of protecting it. That's why we're ordering the new fighters. The prototypes, however, are for pilots of a certain caliber, namely the top pilots and operators." He put his hands behind his back. "I need men and women I can count on to raise the bar, and so far, you've managed to raise it quite a bit. Other pilots are trying to get better because of your actions, your skills as a pilot. Hopefully this will make the criminals of the city think twice." I nodded as he looked over his shoulder. "To that end, I'm authorizing the use of special missiles that we've been working on around the time the SWAT Kats started showing up. From now on, you'll have two standard missiles, two 'Octopus' Missiles, and two 'Megavolt' Missiles in addition to two rocket launchers under the wings." He turned completely. "Felina will use the 'Buzzsaw' Missiles and the 'Scrambler' Missiles. When I'm able, I'm going to outfit mine with the copies of their 'Slicer' and 'Baby Boomer' Missiles. Apparently the latter is packed with more explosives in the warhead, more or less." He walked around his desk and handed me something. "And while you're here, captain, I want you to vote in my name tomorrow. I'm going to be very busy." I took the note. "You _will_ be voting?"

"If they let me." I said. He nodded and turned again, walking around his desk.

"You can head home now." He said. "In the morning, go to the polls and put in my vote. I'm fairly certain they'll allow you to vote just because you're an Enforcer." As he sat, I gave a salute before turning and putting the note away. When I walked out, I started down the hall, but someone grabbed my shoulder somewhat forcefully. I reflexively grabbed at the arm and threw the individual over my shoulder, causing everyone nearby to look over as I almost reached for my sidearm, but I saw that it was Jenkins. He looked surprised, but not scared.

"Jenkins." I said, resting my stance. I held my hand out and he took it after a moment. "Don't do that."

"Y-yeah." He said, coughing. "I won't, make that mistake, again…" He cleared his throat and took a breath. "I was… I was going to ask, if you were doing anything, tonight. Some of us are, gonna go out to celebrate taking down the Metallikats."

"I have to do something for the commander in the morning." I said after a moment. "But I'll drink to their defeat." I started walking again, but he stayed somewhat close.

"Well, it's just, _you_ were the one to take them out." He said. "You stared them down and didn't even flinch, you actually talked to them and shut them off, and you didn't hesitate when you did it, sir."

"They let me." I said. "Hardly an epic battle."

"Yeah, but, I mean, we stopped them, without the SWAT Kats." He said. "Every single time before, the SWAT Kats had at least a hand in beating them, if not being the ones to do it." He held his hand out in front of us as he put his other hand on my shoulder. "We beat them, didn't lose a single kat, didn't even _fire a shot_, and stopped them."

"Jenkins, regardless of how interesting it is, I have to do something in the morning." I said. "The commander is busy, and tomorrow is the last day to vote, so he's having me drop his vote off. I want to go in early so I can get in to work." He slowed down.

"W-well…" He started. "You're sure?"

"I need to, at least, put the note where I'll see it when I wake up." I said. "Maybe I'll do something, or maybe I won't. It all depends on if there's something else I need to do when I get home." I got to the elevator and pressed the button for the parking level my bike was on, but just before the door started, I heard a whistle.

"Hold the elevator!" The lieutenant called. I pressed the button and grabbed the door, opening it. She got in and I pressed the button to close it. "Sixteen."

"That's where I'm going." I said. The doors closed and the elevator began making its descent.

"So, going to the party?" She asked.

"The commander asked me to turn in his vote tomorrow." I said. "I want to get up early to get to the polls before they open so I can get in on time."

"You can't drink, so the most you could do is just have some milk and some fun." She said. She put her arm around my shoulder, making me laugh. "Come on, live a little. In the past six months you've been here, your whole career thus far, I've _never_ heard of you doing anything but coming to work and going home. All work and no play is a boring life."

"I wouldn't say that." I said. The door opened and we walked out, and she stayed close. "The Sons of Viper, the Metallikats, that base the other day. Really, boring is the last thing our job is lately."

"Yeah, but even then, you just, went home." She said. "You come in, you go home, you come in, you go home, it's not all that great a life. I mean, you're _seventeen_! You should be out doing stupid kid stuff, not, going home and… What do you do?"

"I work out to stay in shape, check the news, and I go to a diner for dinner." I said. "I don't have much of a social life, but I know a few people around my neighborhood… Tell you what, I'll celebrate in my own way. I'll tell the patrons at the diner that we beat the Metallikats today, and no one got hurt, and we didn't need the SWAT Kats to bail us out."

"Not good enough." She said. "You're coming to the party."

"All due respect, I've heard about how hard the others party." I said as I got to my bike. I got on it as I grabbed my helmet. "I'll have an extra glass of milk and an extra slice of pie, maybe even shake the waitress' hand this time instead of the regular casual salute I give when I leave." She suddenly grabbed my shoulder, but I checked the reflex. "Did you see what happened to Jenkins when he tried that?"

"I don't take no for an answer, Mane." She said. "You're coming to the party." I looked at her.

"I'm going home, to put the letter away, and I'll be at the diner." I said. "If you'd like to join me, by all means. They give a twenty percent discount to Enforcers, which is how I can afford a few nights each week."

"I don't think you understand the meaning of the word 'fun'." She said. "You _really_ need to make some friends, and where better than a party can you do that?"

"The diner." I said. "Esther likes hearing about the missions I've been on, and lately, there have been plenty of those. Just wait, she'll laugh at how I put Jenkins down."

"Put…" She started. "What?"

"He grabbed my shoulder, and I threw him to the ground and almost shot him." I said. "I took a few martial arts lessons at camp." I went to turn the engine over when she grabbed my shoulder again. "Look, as much as I respect you, it's starting to wear thin. I'm going home, putting the letter away, and then I'm going to the diner for a tuna burger and a slice of banana cream pie, which, I might add, is the best in the city."

"If I have to hogtie you and put you in the back of my car, you're going." She said. "You can have dinner on the way back. I'm not letting you _not_ make at least one friend at that party." I sighed and put my helmet on.

"Follow me to my apartment then." I said. "I'll go, for a little while. But I'm going to get up early and get to the polls come hell or high water."  
…

I leaned back as I watched the others dancing. Just my luck, it was at a techno club I'd never heard of, nor did I care to remember the name. I wasn't fond of techno or dubstep or, whatever this 'music' was, but they were having fun, and I was counting the minutes to when I would leave. I was down to ten.

"Hey, having fun?" Jenkins asked. He was doing a simple 'dance' near me, but I just drank the flavored milk, because they didn't have anything else that was non-alcoholic. "Ah, come on, this is good tunes! I've never heard anything like this!" I leaned toward him.

"I prefer country or rock." I said. "This is making my teeth pulse." I leaned back as he laughed, but he stopped.

"You're serious." He said. "You, listen to country music."

"Yes, because a good country song tells a story." I said. "This? This is… Wub-wub-wub, screeching, and electronic warbling. I'm almost positive my radio is making the same sounds right now!" I drank more of the milk, looking at it. "And to top it all off, there's no normal milk, and this, strawberry milk is five parts syrup to one part milk." He was silent for a moment.

"So you're not having fun." He said.

"I'm seven minutes from leaving to get to my usual diner." I said. "Then I'm going home, hitting the weights for five minutes, and then I'm going to bed." He laughed.

"Well, you gotta admit, this place is pretty cool." He said.

"Country boy?" I asked. He laughed again.

"Yeah, dad's a farmer, mom works with the animals, got, three brothers, two sisters." He said. "Big family." I nodded. "You?"

"Cape Claw, but I spent more time at camp than in at home, it seems." I said. "I prefer quiet places instead of… Noise bars." He laughed quietly as I finished the 'milk', and I set it down. "I'm going to go to the entrance. Enjoy the noise." I walked away, but as I got by the door, the lieutenant was waiting.

"Figured as much." She said. "You talked to two people."

"Is this some kind of intervention?" I asked tiredly. "Because I've got a good reason for not trying to make friends. I get up early, work late, and I have a lot on my mind. I'm seventeen and living alone, and I'm an Enforcer."

"So?" She asked. "I get up early, stay late, and I'm Commander Feral's niece. Do you have any idea how much pressure I'm under?"

"Yes, because the city depends on us." I said. "But I promised I'd stay for forty minutes, no longer. It's been thirty eight minutes. I'm going to wait here for two, and then I'm leaving."

"One condition." She said.

"I have one of my own." I said. "You're holding me against my will. I can tell your uncle you're keeping me from being able to do what he asked me to do."

"The condition, is that you show me where this diner is." She said. "Honestly, I wanted to leave the second I found out this place was a techno club."

"Finally, someone with sense." I said. "I suggest a full retreat to the secondary operating base." She laughed as she walked out, and I followed. When we got to the parking lot, I got on my bike.

"Hey, why do you ride that thing?" She asked.

"I bought it cheap, fixed it cheap, and it runs perfectly." I said. "Apart from that, it's easier to maneuver. If I can slip between cars to cut down on travel time, or evade pursuers, that means I can get where I'm going a lot faster, and a lot safer."

"Pursuers?" She asked.

"The media." I said. She laughed as she got in her car. "But the most important part is the roar. You know how much lions and tigers like to roar." She started the engine as I started the bike, and I revved it twice, setting off a few alarms before we drove off. But as we got the third light, it was red, so she stopped by me.

"Why is that?" She asked. I looked over.

"Lions and tigers are a little wilder than other kats." I said over the engines. "I'm a liger. Wilder still, at times. Takes effort not to roar with the engine." She laughed as I looked ahead, and the light turned green, so I drove ahead. After a few blocks and a few turns, we stopped at an old diner, where I turned the engine off. I was still in uniform, whereas she was in her civvies. I put the helmet on the handlebar before we walked over to the door.

"So, you roar?" She asked.

"Once in a while." I said. "Mostly when the neighbor kids ask me to."

"So, you're nice to kids, but you don't deal well with anyone else." She said.

"It's more that they're playing, and I figure, why not make them laugh." I said. "They have fun, I get it out of my system, and that's fine by me." We walked in and I took my usual seat at the counter just as Esther walked over.

"Little late?" She asked. I pointed at the lieutenant.

"Lieutenant Felina Feral." I said. "She doesn't take no for an answer, and apparently I was wanted at a celebration for having taken down, get this, the Metallikats." She whistled. "They came back, got new bodies, and I shut them down." She handed me a can of milk, which I popped open with my thumb claw in two spots. "Get this, they didn't fight back. They just told me something, and let me shut them down."

"Doesn't sound like them." She said.

"Now that you mention it, yeah…" The lieutenant said.

"Well, sounds like they're not dangerous for at least a little while." Esther said. "What'll you have?"

"I'm after a bacon tuna burger." I said. "Craving pork, craving tuna, might as well compromise." She laughed as she wrote it down.

"And you, lieutenant?" She asked.

"What's the special?" She asked.

"Smoked haddock and chips." Esther said.

"Sounds good to me." The lieutenant said. "Just milk with that, please."

"You got it, lieutenant." Esther said. She wrote down the orders. "Dessert?"

"Um, well, Leon said he's having the banana cream, so, I guess a slice of that." She said.

"We have one that just got out of the oven, should be cooled off after you're done." Esther said. She walked away after setting down a can of milk, which the lieutenant opened with her thumb claw, like I had, but with just one hole. She held it out, so I tapped my can to hers.

"To an easy victory, for whatever it's worth." She said.

"To no casualties." I added. We drank a little and I set my can down.

"So, apart from this, what else do you do after work?" She asked.

"Mostly exercising to stay in shape, keep in practice…" I said.

"With what?" She asked. "Flight simulators?"

"Hand to hand." I said. "Martial arts… I've got a punching bag for it, not much but it gets the job done."

"Why?" She asked. "You expect a lot of hand to hand situations?"

"No, no, it's more for the focus." I said. I set my forearm on the counter. "Memorizing the different techniques, katas, you tend to relax into it." She laughed quietly.

"I never figured violence could make someone calm." She said. I looked at her.

"You should try it sometime." I said. "Take up karate or judo, or Krav Maga." She looked at me as I turned back and drank some of the milk.

"Krav Maga." She said. "Isn't that, military grade martial arts?"

"Picked it up at camp, thought it was fun." I said. "It means 'contact combat', developed in Isreal consisting of techniques based in boxing, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, judo, jiu-jitsu, and some wrestling and grappling techniques mixed with realistic fight training, if one were to ask its roots from the internet or somewhere else."

"And really?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Just what the instructors told me." I said. Esther walked over and set our plates down. "You're an angel, Esther." She smirked and walked back to the other end of the counter to talk to someone, Floyd if I was right. "I like it for the focus, like I said, but, if I ever do get into a fight up close, against an armed foe or otherwise, I'll take them down, quick. In terms of purpose for it, it's meant to take down the opponent as fast and as efficiently as you possibly can. Counter attack as soon as you can, or attack preemptively if possible, target the vulnerable points, the eyes, the neck or throat, the face, the groin, the ribs, knees, feet, the fingers, places that limit their ability to fight back." She stared. "Try to be as brutal and effective as possible to neutralize your foe as fast as you can, while maintaining awareness during the fight to look for escape routes, other opponents, or objects you can use as weapons."

"They taught this at a summer camp." She said.

"Actually, it was year round if you wanted to stay." I said. "I was there so often, ten years, because I wanted to be the best I could be. Always, wanted to be a hero, you know? A cop, or, as I've become, an Enforcer." She took a bite of her haddock and set her fork down. "Good?" She nodded. "Won't find a kat that can cook fish or burgers better than Harry." I took a bite of my burger as she swallowed.

"Wow." She said. "This isn't far from headquarters, and I've never heard of this place." I swallowed and drank some milk.

"Harry's Diner." I said. "Where the burgers are cheap, but so good you might weep." She laughed quietly.

"So, why learn martial arts as a kid?" She asked. "Bullies?"

"No, I actually had a lot of friends then." I said. "Couldn't keep in contact though. We figured we were never going to leave, that we'd always be together. Besides that, most of us didn't know our phone numbers." She laughed as I took another bite.

"Krav Maga, karate, and from the former you learn from a lot of others." She said. "Just how dangerous would it be to get in close quarters with you?" I shrugged as I swallowed.

"Lethal if I have to be, but I'm a little young for that." I said. "Remember those kids the other day?" She nodded. "That's me holding back. But… Krav Maga training also makes you more aware of any situation, sort of helps develop an understanding of your surroundings and get an idea of how to understand a street style confrontation, and identifying potential threats before an attack can actually occur. I also learned how to look more imposing, and how to calm people down to avoid violence. I actually hate fighting. But the teachings helped a lot." She ate more of her haddock, smiling a little. "Mostly, I just liked how it calmed me down then. They told me that learning martial arts was also a good form of meditation, and in that you tend to focus your mind on just one thing, that's exactly what it does. One hand motion into another, leading to more, you find that you concentrate on that, and with Krav Maga, you sort of let your senses take over for paying attention, you get reflexive. If you ever see me practicing at headquarters, don't walk up behind me too fast. Odds are, I'll knock you down with my claws out, ready to strike." She laughed quietly as I took a bite.

"So, you're lethal, but you hold back a lot." She said. "You could take on a small group, and disable them one at a time." I nodded. "But you don't like to fight, yet you became an Enforcer, a job that entails regular life or death situations against possibly overwhelming odds. A job where you, at some point, will probably have to shoot down a target, with a lethal end result, like the sons of Viper."

"Yeah, but the same time, I'm doing so to protect people." I said. "The training eases my mind, the reason eases my soul, and the hours ease me to sleep when I get home." She laughed quietly.


	7. Voting and More Intrigue

**A little action and a little plot, wrap it up with some conspiracy and intrigue, and you get, this chapter. Enjoy, I've got little else to say but 'Happy Friday'. *Small reddish brown kiwi bird jumps on a small rubber pouch that blows a party favor before wagging his tail feathers***

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron. Thank you and have a nice day.  
…**

I didn't have to think as I checked the name on the ballot and put it in the envelope, following with the commander's in the other. I turned and walked out toward the ballot box and put them in, and the women smiled.

"Thank you for voting." The one closer said. "I hope this is a close one. We could all do with some more excitement." I laughed.

"I'd say it depends on what kind that excitement is." I said. They both laughed.

"True." She said. "But Mayor Manx has been in office for fourteen terms, and I don't think he's going down without a fight."

"The one thing he fights for seriously, it seems." The other said. I gave a casual salute as I turned and walked away toward my bike, but the air felt different all of a sudden.

As I passed by a group of kats, one reached out quickly, and I pulled back to avoid getting punched. The crowd rushed away quickly and a kat with a Mohawk rushed me. I dodged his punches for a moment before he threw a hard straight, so I ducked under it and grabbed his arm before slamming my palm up into his elbow, dislocating it with a loud crack. He yelled in pain before throwing another punch, but I caught his arm under my own and pulled up at his elbow, causing him to let out another yell before I gave him a shot to the kidney with my left fist. He staggered back before I spun and got him with a roundhouse kick in the face. He fell backward, taking out a table. Just as he hit, however, I spun and avoided a two by four held by a kat with a leather jacket.

"This is for our brothers and sisters!" He said angrily. I caught the board on a downward swing, breaking it in half, and I spun, hitting him in the face with it and throwing it down. He fell quickly, and I looked around carefully to see three more.

"Call the Enforcers!" A woman called.

"He _is_ an Enforcer!" One male kat called. "That's that, Leon Mane, from the news the other day! He's got this!"

"Call the Enforcers!" I called. "I don't have any handcuffs!" I dodged two at once, leaning back and grabbing the ground and raising my lower body to kick both of my attackers in their jaws. I did a series of backward somersaults until I was at my motorcycle, where I kept my tools, one of which being a tire iron. I took that quickly and blocked another two by four with it, and I quickly kicked him away. 'Three more, two getting up, this idiot staggering… Go for the knock out, quickly.' I spun around as he rushed back, and the tire iron connected to his shoulder, and as he fell, I kicked him in the chest. The other two got up as I spun the iron a few times. "Give up now and you get to enjoy the ride to jail instead of just waking up there. Make your choice." The one rushed faster than the other, and I hit his fist as he tried to punch me, and I kicked the other in the knee. As they reeled, I punched the closer one before throwing the tire iron into the forehead of the other. They fell to the ground, and I relaxed again. The crowd was silent before a few began cheering, leading to the rest as sirens approached. I kicked up the tire iron and put it back as the squad cars approached. The Enforcers rushed out, a few pointing guns at me before lowering them. I just gave a short salute before getting on the bike. "They chose poorly." I started the engine after putting my helmet on and drove off to the cheering crowd. 'Hopefully this gets us a little more public support. If not, that's still five more stupid kids off the street.'  
…

I punched the heavy bag while the others in the room went about their training. I moved fluidly from one attack to another, combining the teachings of one style with the motions of another, creating a heavy series of attacks with no visible signs to defend from. If I had been sparring, I would likely have knocked out my partner at least four times before they could get close to hitting the ground, leaving one massive headache as well as soreness for a few days. As I moved into a series of strikes inspired by a cobra's strike, I spun and nearly hit the commander, and he seemed surprised, and almost worried.

"At ease, captain." He said. I lowered my arms and let out a calm breath.

"Sorry, sir." I said. "I was lost in the moment."

"That 'moment' probably would have made me 'lose' my coffee." He said. He sat down on a machine by me. "Felina informed me that you know several styles of martial arts, and that you told her this at a diner?"

"I didn't care for the 'techno' club I was forced to 'celebrate' in." I said. He laughed quietly as I sat as well, grabbing my sports drink and draining about a third of it.

"So, Krav Maga." He said. "Israeli close quarters. What kind of camp teaches kids how to fight like that?"

"A good one." I said. "Year round, mostly just me and a bunch of other kids that didn't feel like going home. We had classes, and then courses around the area. Nice place. Not a lot of trees, but we had fun." He nodded.

"A pilot and a hand to hand combatant." He said. "How good are you, exactly?"

"You'll recall those kids I knocked out the other day at Jenkins' apartment building." I said. "That's me holding back." He laughed quietly. "If I had to fight seriously…" I pointed my thumb at the bag, which had visible damage to some of the canvas. "Let's just say if this was a kat twice my size, I'd have probably have left a lot of bruised organs, broken bones, and at least a moderate concussion."

"Life or death situation, don't hold back." He said. "What else do you know?"

"A few others, not really worth naming them all right now." I said. He just nodded before holding out a slip of paper.

"I'm promoting my niece, but despite my position, I need an officer's signature." He said. "Someone that vouches she's ready to be promoted to 'captain', captain." I took the paper and set it on my knee as he handed me a pen. I looked it over quickly, old training kicking in.

"She's got the skills of a major, if you were to ask me." I said. "Good enough to lead a large unit on her own, smart enough to handle important missions with a lot on the line, and capable enough to adapt to changing situations, even the unknown. She'll get that in a few days."

"After _your_ promotion." He said. I signed the paper and handed it to him, and he put something else in my hand. "Congratulations. I know how much you don't like ceremony for this sort of thing. That's the sign of a good officer, if you ask me." I nodded as I looked at the new brass. "Now, after you're done, go pick up your new equipment." He stood up, but looked. "By the way, don't go near the experimental jets. Apparently when they're brought online, they give off lethal doses of radiation within seconds. Turns out they're nuclear powered, with some kind of propulsion system we still don't understand. We need to work out some kind of radiation shielding or a better power system so it can keep going without killing the pilot and their partner." He turned. "Don't tell Felina about this. This never happened."

"Understood, sir." I said. I put the brass in my shirt pocket before going back to my training, but just as I got into a rhythm, someone walked up and I turned, nearly grabbing his throat. "Jenkins, you're not going to last long if you keep sneaking up on me." He swallowed quietly.

"S-sorry, sir." He said. "I uh, I just… What was…" I lowered my hands before turning and immediately going back to my training.

"Commander says, the jets we captured, are nuclear powered." I said. "Only when they're on. Shielded when they're not, I guess…" I started kicking the lower part of the bag. "The thrusters work, but they want to come up with a better power system, or proper shielding. If they can get those thrusters working without killing us, I think we'll be more effective. But it would mean, learning new controls." I hit in three 'lethal' spots as he sat down where the commander had sat. "Did you hear about, our new missile payload?"

"Y-yeah." He said. "Memorized their use. Two of each. I know how they work and their flight dynamics I've studied them extensively since I got in this morning." I lowered my arms slowly, letting out a calm breath. "That's, impressive… You did stuff like that, at my complex. I looked up the moves… Krav Maga?" I smirked where he couldn't see. "You're, young to know that."

"I trained since I was ten." I said. "I take classes on my time off every now and then."

"Ten?" He asked. "Who trains a ten year old in that kind of hand to hand? Karate, maybe, judo, maybe, even kung fu, I can see happening, but… I mean, it's something that's just, brutal and… Well, you did take those kids down awful fast…"

"You learn what you can where you can." I said. I sat down and drank the sports drink until it was empty, and I tossed it over my shoulder, and heard it land in the refuse bin. "And if you want to do it well, you practice whenever you have some free time." He pointed behind me. "What?"

"That was thirty feet away, behind you, fourteen degrees to your left, there's _no way_…" He started. "But… How? How can _anyone_ make that shot?"

"Memorize where it is, how far, and just, toss it." I said offhandedly.  
…

"This is Ann Gora, Kats Eye News." She said. "I'm here, live at City Hall, as the results of the final voting polls come in. In just five short minutes, we'll see who will be the mayor of our fine city. Will Mayor Manx once more return to his office, or will it be Deputy Mayor Calico Briggs that finally takes over to let him retire as the longest running mayor Megakat City has seen yet? Stay tuned to find out." She went to interview a kat nearby holding a sign in favor of Miss Briggs, but I tuned it out as I ate my dinner, precooked chicken fried steak with gravy. It was good, but it could have been a lot better. I just didn't feel like cooking anything requiring too much effort. After having put kats in jail and training all day, even without any incidents calling on the air division, I just wanted to sit down, rest, and eat my dinner so I could go to bed. As I ate, I almost laughed. Another kat was talking about how the city wasn't ready for a female mayor, and that she should stay in the kitchen.

'Unreal.' I thought. 'After what she's done for the city, this idiot needs to go home and sleep off whatever he's on.' I cut another piece away and took a bite, but I was barely able to stomach it. 'Ugh, that's it, next time, spring the two bucks more for a better quality dinner. If _I_ can't eat it, it'd take someone with ruined taste buds to enjoy it.'

"Okay, the votes are in, tallied, and double checked." Ann Gora said. I looked at the set as I put the tray down. A kat walked up to a microphone and set a letter down.

"The results of this year's election wasn't close." He said. "This year's mayor, by a landslide, is Callico Briggs!" The crowd erupted in cheer as Manx just smiled and turned to her, offering his hand.

"Well, Miss Briggs, I expected it to happen sooner or later." He said when the noise died down. "I gave it my all, and you won fair and square. And let me just say, it's about time." She took his hand with a smile. "If you ever need me for anything, just let me know, but from now on, I think it's time I retire. Good luck, Callie."

"Thank you, Mr. Manx." She said. "You deserve a good long rest after all you've done for the city." I drank the last of my milk and tossed the empty can into the recycling box I'd set up. I turned off the set as I heard cheers all around, and I tossed the 'chicken fried steak' and the 'mashed potatoes' into the trash.

"Last time I buy that mess." I said. I walked toward my bedroom when a knock came from the door. I walked over and looked through, seeing a familiar face. I opened it. "Commander, is something wrong?"

"No, thankfully." He said. I let him in and he looked around. "A little, empty, isn't it? All this space, and you have one chair, one small table, a TV, and a small gym in a corner apartment _this big_."

"I try not to let it clutter." I said. "And it's not like I make enough to furnish an apartment all in one go." He nodded, turning to me.

"Come Monday morning, Miss Briggs formally becomes 'Mayor' Briggs." He said. "Though to be honest, she's been doing the work for the past six years, while her predecessor handled things for him the six years before that. It's all about the title." He looked out the window. "Monday morning, you, Felina, and I will bring Mayor Briggs to her office. I'll be heading a security detail while you and Felina fly in place of the usual choppers. My jet will be on the roof, and after Mayor Briggs is done with her speech, the three of us will fly toward headquarters while she waves to us. This was planned for either case, so she just needs to be brought up to speed." He looked at me. "Are you okay with putting on a show for the city?" I nodded.

"Yes, sir." I said. "Just stay above Mayor Briggs' car and don't hit a building." He nodded.

"Good." He said. "I'd hoped to get here sooner, but there was a surprising amount of traffic. This is the most attended election in years, all thanks to Miss Briggs' choice to run for mayor instead of deputy mayor." He looked around for a moment. "Hopefully she'll be able to pass a few things to give us a better budget. It's mostly thanks to Manx that we had such little access to mega alloys apart from a pair of prototypes every so often. If even an ace pilot squad and a small number of tanks had that, we'd be far more formidable against the likes of Dark Kat and the rest of those freaks." I nodded. "And one more thing, major." He walked over and held out an envelope. "This came to headquarters, for your eyes only." I looked at the envelope. "We scanned it, found no dangers, but I'll admit, I'm curious." I took the letter and looked it over before opening it.

"No stamp, or return address…" I said. I pulled out a letter and opened it. He looked at it and stared for a moment.

"It's, blank?" He asked.

"Some kind of joke." I said. "Or, maybe it's invisible ink. There are depressions in the paper." He shook his head.

"Well, that was all I came here for." He said. "Whatever it's about, let me know Monday if it was important." I nodded as he walked out. "And major." I looked to him. "Some potted plants might make the place seem less empty." I nodded.

"I'll find some this weekend." I said. He walked out, closing the door, and I walked over to the lamp on the coffee table and turned it on, holding the letter between it and myself. The letters were clear, and the ink shifted color to red. 'Dear Major Mane, this is a once in a lifetime offer that will not be extended again. Tomorrow at seven PM, be at the parking lot of the newly opened mall. Should you not be present, it will be taken as disinterest in what we have to say, and your place will be understood. Regardless, a package is en route to you, containing something you should appreciate. If you are present, we hope you are willing to listen to us. Bring a firearm if you so choose, as we understand the nature of this letter may be ambiguous, as it is from a party you may not be familiar with. Thank you for your cooperation.' After a few more minutes of rereading, I copied the letter onto a notepad just before the ink vanished completely. 'Interesting…' I put the letter back and put it in a hidden drawer with a few other things before tearing out the note and putting it in my jacket pocket. 'Well, time to hit the sack. Not much else to do.' I got up and walked over to my bedroom, removing my shirt and setting it in the clothes hamper. But just as I went to lay down, the phone next to the bed rang, so I picked it up. "Leon Mane."

"Captain, er, Major Mane, it's…" He started.

"Jenkins." I said. "I know your voice. What's going on?"

"Did you see on the news?" He asked. "Miss Briggs won the election. I'm still at HQ, and, the lieutenant and a few of the guys are planning on celebrating."

"I'll avoid the lieutenant then." I said. He laughed.

"Seriously, sir, tomorrow at seven, we're going to this new place down on K street." He said.

"I can't make it, I've got a meeting with someone." I said.

"Really?" He asked. "Sir, I know you didn't enjoy the party last time, but…"

"No, it's not that." I said. "I've really got a meeting at seven. I just found out a while ago, a request by letter. Tell you what, if it's over fast enough, I'll call and ask where it is. Let the lieutenant know so she doesn't try to break down my door."

"O-okay." He said. "Um, I guess… Oh, uh, about Miss Briggs winning the election, do you think we'll be part of the security detail?"

"We are." I said. "You don't think Feral would pass up a chance to show that the Enforcers take guarding the mayor any less seriously just because it's Miss Briggs instead of Manx?" He laughed. "She's done a lot already, and he's not going to let her get out of doing more now that she's sitting in the bigger office."

"Well, I guess, we might see you at the club." He said.

"Maybe." I said. "What kind of club is it?"

"Retro." He said. "I don't know what it's like but, it's worth a look."


	8. Interruptions, Plain and Simple

**Not much to say this time, not many people seem to read this, so…**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron. Thank you and please enjoy.  
…**

I looked at the houseplant for a few minutes before looking at the other. A small fern or a set of in-home year-round tomato plants. It was tough to say. The fern smelled nice, and the tomatoes basically meant a long term supply of easy maintained vegetables for whenever I felt like cooking. After a few minutes, I picked up the tomato plants and set them in the cart, carefully. I already had some small potted plants for the windows, and I had been given a ride by a neighbor who was coming by as well, in a pickup truck. All I had to do was chip in ten bucks for gas, and he'd drive me to and from the store. As I walked the cart up to the front, my neighbor looked at me from the other line.

"Hey, how'd it go?" He asked.

"A few window hangers and some tomatoes that grow all year." I said. "And a mondo chili pepper plant for the same." He whistled.

"Planning on eating those or making homemade pepper spray?" He asked. We laughed.

"Now you've got me thinking." I said. He laughed a little more as I put the plants on to be scanned. After paying and walking out, we put the plants in the back.

"So, just brightening up the apartment?" He asked.

"Well, it's a little empty, so it's partly to make it seem a little, warmer." I said. "But since I can also get food out of this, I like it a lot more." He laughed as we loaded everything up, but while I was putting the last of the plant food in, I heard a scream. "Everywhere I go these days." I looked over as a man ran across the parking lot.

"My purse!" A woman cried. I took off quickly, instincts kicking in. I ran up onto a car and jumped from one to the other as fast as I could without slipping. The thief, a man in a hood, drew a gun and fired, just missing me. I jumped off, rolled, and grabbed my revolver from the holster before continuing. I got up and took aim, firing and hitting his hood.

"Stop, or I will not fire a warning shot next time!" I called authoritatively. He didn't stop, so I took aim down the sights and fired, and the round hit him in the back of the leg. He fell to the ground, rolling to a stop, and I ran over. He went to fire on me as I slid to a halt, and I fired again, hitting the gun and sliding it across the pavement. I walked up to him, pointing the revolver carefully at his head as he raised his hands. "Don't move. Do not, move." I got closer as I pulled my radio out, and I tossed it to my neighbor as he ran over. "Call it in, purse snatcher with a firearm. Major Leon Mane." He nodded as I looked back and got the purse from the thief. "You must think you're bad, stealing purses from women on the street, carrying a gun, shooting at me." He swallowed as I moved back. "On your stomach, hands behind your back." I set the purse down and rolled him. "Roll over." He complied and I pulled out a zip tie. I put it on his wrists and tightened it, making him groan in pain as I holstered the revolver at my ankle.

"T-this is, uh, Gerald, Gerald Rast…" My neighbor said. "I, I'm calling for, Major Leon Mane, who, has just caught a purse snatcher, at the, at the Kat-Mart on thirty fifth. Um, over?"

"This is Enforcer Dispatch, confirming the major's radio." The officer said. "Squad car has been dispatched. Is the major injured?"

"Uh, no, no, um, negative, he's fine, just, handing the purse back to the owner." He said. I got up and turned as the woman walked over, and before she took the purse, she gave me a strong hug, making me blush almost right through my pale fur. "She's thanking him, with a hug." The officer laughed.

"The major catches more criminals off duty than on, lately." He said. "The officer should be there soon." The line went silent as the woman took her purse.

"Thank you, I…" She started. "He snuck up on me and just, took it right out of my hand. I couldn't believe it…" She looked at him. "I can't believe someone would do that in, in the middle of the day."

"Some people think they're too fast or too smart to get caught." I said. "They're the ones we like, actually. They're the easiest to catch." Gerald gave me the radio, which I put on my belt.

"You're ready for anything these days." He said. I laughed.

"Actually I just started carrying those zip ties today." I said. "Seems like some unknown force keeps putting me in places for stuff like this to happen." They laughed as the thief started moving, so I put my boot on his back, by his hand. "Hey, stay put. You wouldn't want to miss your free trip to the medical center. The doctor definitely wants to see you."  
…

'_You know what this means, sir.'_ A female voice echoed in my mind. _'We'll have to, send letters, or texts. Keep them frequent, or I might just transfer back to find out why.'_

'_I'll see what I can do, but, I think I might be, seven a day as a limit.'_ A young male echoed. _'Not exactly as frequent as you're used to, but, it's easier, since you'll be busy.'_ As the voice faded, I let my eyes focus on the figures moving around me. I put the stand down and got off of the bike, a knife up my sleeve, ready to go. I put that hand in my pocket as I switched the light on. After a moment, three figures walked into the light.

"You're a little late." I said. "I was told seven. It's half past already."

"Call it traffic." An electronically altered voice said. It was entirely audible and in no way mistaken, but it was definitely someone who wanted to, or had to, hide his or her voice. Heavy coats, thick gloves, big boots, possibly stilts from the knee locations. They were bigger than even the commander. "You are Major Leon Mane?"

"Word travels fast, though listening on a police scanner helps." I said. The other two laughed quietly, also electronically modified.

"What we are here for is very simple." The first one said. "We have simple questions, and hope for the right answers."

"Ask." I said. "But I've got to say, I'm missing a celebration with my coworkers." The middle one walked forward.

"Where did you go to 'camp'?" 'He' asked.

"Little place outside of Megakat City." I said. "Nice enough little place, if hot most of the year."

"What was the name of this 'camp'?" He asked.

"Camp Flyaway." I said simply.

"The most important, where did you learn to fly?" He asked carefully.

"Same camp." I said. "Realistic simulators, but, they're gone now, probably taken apart or sold off." The figure walked closer. "Interested in starting up a summer camp?"

"Interested, in finding out if you remember, who you were." He said in a strange tone. "Lieutenant Colonel." I raised my eyebrow behind my sunglasses.

"I think you're confused." I said. "I'm Major Leon Mane, an Enforcer. I'm a good pilot because of a video game I played for ten years that was based on the real experience. I got cocky, but it turned out, the game was perfect for training. Find the maker and you could get them to sell it to the flight academy." The figure tossed something, and as I caught it, I looked at it. A familiar insignia. "What's this?"

"Your old brass, Lieutenant Colonel." He said. "If you insist on maintaining the charade, you've either turned your back on where you came from, or you're lying to yourself in thinking you can be like everyone else. You are far more, far greater than the she-kat you fly with. Alone, as a pilot, you command the skies in a plane from Mega-War II, and you fly a fighter now that you could take far beyond the limits of those you fought in the desert." I lowered my hand, setting the insignia on the gas cap. "You delude yourself in thinking the Enforcers are worthy of having such a magnificent pilot. They are only effective because of their new technology. That won't last, and you know it."

"How do you know?" I asked. "_What_ do you know? Are you with the Sons of Viper?"

"No, but we seek to stop them more than you do." He said. "In three weeks, you will be given a choice. If you are wise, you will take the offer given. If not, do not stand in our way."

"You know, a guy could take that as a threat." I said. "I don't take threats lightly, either."

"I know of the jackknife in your sleeve." He said. "You always were, prepared." They stepped back, but before they left the light, they just vanished. "Good luck with your flight Monday, Colonel Mane. We'll be watching the festivities, from afar. But don't be afraid. We don't put the innocent at risk."

'_We don't put the innocent at risk.'_ A gruff voice echoed. _'If we do, then we fail. We do _not_ fail. Is that clear?!'_

'_Sir, yes sir!'_ A group voice echoed. As I stared at where they were, I picked up the emblem and looked at it. It was bent and slightly warped, and just a little dusty, but the rank was clear, as was the letter M next to it, where it had been bent and warped beyond readability.

'What the hell is going on?' I wondered. 'Ghosts from the past just keep popping up… Ever since…' I put it in my pocket and put the knife back as I turned the headlight around a few times. "Whoever you are, I think you got the wrong guy!" I got on and put my helmet on before riding away. After a minute, I pulled up at a corner and parked before pulling out my phone and dialing Jenkins. When it picked up, I heard a cheer. "Jenkins, my meeting ran a little late. How's the…"

"Hey, major!" He said drunkenly. "You missed a _great_ thing here! These guys just, showed up, and bought _every_one a drink. A _bunch_ o' drinks!" I had to hold the phone away from my head. "Great guys, all, cool and, dressed up like, army guys, and _air force_ guys! With, really cool, uh, emblems!" My pupils dilated to slits.

"Did it look like a winged lion?" I asked slowly.

"Yeah, just like it!" He said. "Why? Did you meet 'em?"

"You could say that." I said. "They're the ones that I met. You know what, I can make it after all. Just got a second wind. And, it's Saturday, right? Party night." He let out a whoop, making me close my right eye.

"He's on his way!" He called. "See you soon, sir!"

"Jenkins, don't salute me over the phone." I said. He laughed as I ended the call and checked the text message. 'Tonight… Why there? Why, the mall… Sweep for bugs when I get back.' I drove down the street until I got to the club, and I put the stand down as I turned the engine off. I walked in with my helmet in my hand, and immediately there was a huge cheer. I set my helmet down and a man in a military uniform walked over, laughing cheerfully.

"A drink for the major, scotch." He said happily. I held my hand up.

"Just milk." I said. "I'm seventeen."

"Seventeen?" The soldier asked, looking at me. "You look so much more mature. It is, amazing. You could pass for twenty one easily."

"Well, that'd be abusing a gift." I said. "Besides, I don't want anyone trying to take me off the force just because I felt like chancing it." A glass of milk was set down in front of me, and I held it up slightly toward him. "And milk is easier on the wallet anyway." He laughed and held a hand up.

"A milk for me, too." He said. He had a slight Spanish accent. "Goat." The bartender put a glass of goat milk down, and he tapped the glass against mine. "To the Enforcers, long may you all fly."

"Long may we all." I said. We drank for a moment, and it was like he was trying to goad me into drinking it all. But I set it down as he set his empty glass down. "What brings you all out here? I don't recognize your outfit."

"Ah, special forces." He said. "Based out of, eh, well, can't say. Camp Classified, some of the boys call it. It's like home away from home, you know?"

'_Camp Flyaway, a place some call 'Camp Classified'.'_ The gruff voice echoed. _'Your home away from home.'_

"I hear you're a great pilot." He said. "How good?"

"They say I'm in the top three." I said. "Never knew which one though. Hush-hush to make me push myself a little more to get better." He laughed.

"Ah, they say I'm number two in my outfit." He said. He raised his finger. "Only one better, is this girl, no one knows her name. Just calls herself 'Hellcat'. Won't say her name, won't give rank. Just know she's better than anyone that gets in a pilot seat."

"We'll have to have a paintball katfight one of these days, then." I said. "Knowing the commander, a little fun might just make things interesting."

"That accent." He said. "I almost can't catch it, but, Russian?"

"On my mother's side." I said. "I try to hide it a little. But, off duty, I let it show a little." He laughed as he looked up.

"You know, this city is nice." He said. "Great place for R&R. I just wish I could find a place to, kick up my feet for a night or two… Or share a bed, if you get my drift." He nudged me and I laughed. "Ah, that, Felina Feral. Is she, available?"

"As far as I'm aware, but eh, trust me when I say, shelve the thought." I said. He stared for a moment and I laughed. "She is not so much 'high maintenance', as she is particular about the men she chooses to date. The last one, he made one date, and ended up leaving her because she is, dedicated, to the job. It is the type of thing that makes her a little, careful, distant, or so the rumors go, so don't say you heard this from me." He laughed quietly. "If I were to suggest a woman of the Enforcers, I would suggest Sergeant Cambridge. A friendly, outgoing young woman, and she is… How do I put this without making it seem like what it is not… She is not so much easy, as she is, passionate." He raised his eyebrows, smiling a little. "She is known to consider the act of lovemaking a 'bonding experience'." I looked around before leaning in. "Word is, she is very fond of tulips, and she loves white chocolate roses from the candy shop on the corner of third and central." He smiled a little more. "But that is just what I have heard." I moved back as he laughed.

"Ah, thank you." He said. He smirked. "I'd head that officers of the Enforcers tended to be a little, how do you Americans put it, stiff?"

"Hey, officer or not, I'm still a kid." I said. "Gotta have some room off duty, at least." He laughed again and patted my back.

"I like you, Major Mane, you are a friendly young man." He said. "Tell you what, I will suggest to Hellcat that you do the paintball thing as a stunt show, to raise money for the Enforcers and my unit, eh? Everyone loves a show, and if it raises a little money for, charity, or toward a budget for something helpful, then icing on the cake, yes?" I nodded. "A tournament, better, several days, a few aerial fights per day, one on one, or, dare I, squad against squad. Maybe Hellcat and I against you and the lieutenant in the finals? Or, whenever. I saw you on the news, and let me tell you, I want to see just how good I match up." He playfully slugged my shoulder. "_Sliding_ between two buildings like you did, hitting the vehicle from below? Where do you come up with that?"

"Having a good operator." I said. "Jenkins was top of his class by a pretty high amount. Due to his skill and ability to calculate fast, we were able to use our rear-fire to finish it in a flyby. Only time I've ever done that, to be honest. It was, interesting."

"Yeah, yeah, it would be." He said. "Paint missiles, maybe." We laughed after a moment.

"I'll run it by the commander." I said. "Might take a few weeks to organize and get the modifications done to some older jets. No point fouling up our work fighters." The music suddenly stopped and we looked back as a pair of men with guns ran in.

"Stick your hands up, this is a robbery!" One yelled. I drew my revolver from my leg by bringing it up quickly while just about every Enforcer that was still sober pointed their sidearms at them, as did the soldiers. The would-be robbers dropped their guns instantly and held their hands up as the door was closed by a pair of Enforcers. They were cuffed and set in a booth with a couple of large soldiers who patted their shoulders.

"You picked the worst day to try to rob this club." One said. I laughed as I holstered the revolver.

"A holdout piece?" The Spanish soldier asked.

"Never go anywhere without at least one hidden firearm and a knife." I said. "Megakat City is a dangerous place."  
…

I drove down the road, silent in my thoughts save for the one. I was going to check things out at the salvage yard, to confirm or somehow disprove that Jake and Chance were the SWAT Kats. Their pilot records checked out, they were good enough for the job, but were they really capable enough? Could they really make the weapons and the fighter from scrap parts? As I pulled off the road and up to the office door, I put the stand down and turned the engine off. The door opened and Chance walked out, wiping grease from his hands.

"Hey, Leon, need another tune-up already?" He asked. I got off and put the helmet away. "What's up?"

"Checking on something that, honestly, I can't make heads or tails of." I said. "Can we talk inside?" I walked over as he walked in. When I closed the door, he put the rag in a bucket. "Remember the Metallikats showing up earlier this week?"

"Yeah, who could forget?" He asked. "Last I heard, they were spare parts away from being spare parts. Got eaten by that, what was that giant robot thing called again? Ned?"

"Zed." I said with a shrug. "Yeah, I remember the news report on that. Here's the thing, they came back and got new bodies, and I had to use a device to erase their memories again. It was, too easy, but that's not why I'm here."

"You want some parts to make a weapon to take 'em out for good?" He asked.

"No." I said. "Well, maybe, a little later."

"Hey, Leon, what's up?" Jake asked as he walked in from the door to the yard.

"The Metallikats asked me to talk to them, before I shut them down." I said. "They said they knew the secret identities of the SWAT Kats." They turned and looked at me.

"And, you figured you'd tell us?" Jake asked. "What could we do with that info?"

"That's just the thing, they said, you already know." I said. I sat against the counter, crossing my arms. "It just didn't make sense to me."

"Uh, how?" Chance asked. "I mean, how would we know? We're just a couple of grease monkeys."

"No, you're not." I said. "You two were the best before Felina Feral came along, before me. You two have the skills to back up a lot of talk. Brag about how good a pilot you are, Chance, and how accurate you are with targeting software, Jake, and nine times out of ten I'll believe some pretty wild stuff. But…"

"Wait, don't tell me they said, _we're_ the SWAT Kats?" Jake said. I nodded. "W-why would they point their tin claws at us?"

"Because you've got the skills to back up a lot of talk, more than I can really say." I said. "I kept going over your records, and each time, each mission, your accuracy rating was dead on, you never got shot down, and the one time you went down it was the commander's fault. It'd be safe to say, if you two had access to the Turbokat, you two could very easily do just about everything the SWAT Kats could do. If you two were able to get back in the commander's good books, I think you'd be flying the new model fighter. But…" I pointed. "It got me to thinking. You two have a lot of spare parts, you could build a lot of interesting things." I pointed over my shoulder. "You've got special spark plugs, after all, better than I've ever seen. You're smart enough to make those, so, would you be smart enough to make a missile with a buzz saw, or missile with a built-in Tesla Coil?" They seemed almost worried, like I was about to accuse them and run them in. "It makes me think, either you two really could be the SWAT Kats, or maybe the Metallikats were hoping to destabilize the Enforcers by throwing us down the wrong trail. Drag a red herring down that path and try to keep us from the fox."

"What?" Chance asked. "Red herring, fox? What are you talking about?"

"Fox hunting is illegal these days." I said. "But back when it wasn't, hunters would train their dogs to track the scent of a fox by dragging a fox tail along the ground and have the dog scent the trail. After they learn to chase the fox's scent, they take a preserved herring and drag it behind the fox tail to disguise the trail, and then lead the herring another direction to throw the dog off of the trail of the fox tail. Due to the preservation process, it would turn the herring red, thus the term, red herring." He nodded slowly. "So, the question is, are you the fox tails, or are you the red herrings hiding them?"


	9. Surprises Abound, Air and Ground

**I hope you all enjoyed the cliffhanger last time, so here's the answer to what the major found out. Now, I need to get to work on later chapters. Good day.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron.  
…**

"Look, Leon, do we look like we could _possibly_ be the SWAT Kats?" Chance asked. "We're just mechanics these days. We probably aren't half as good as we were when we were Enforcers."

"It's like riding a bike." I said. "Dust off the cobwebs, and you're back to being the best again in no time flat. What's important, is that something's wrong no matter how you look at this. Why would the Metallikats point to you? Why a couple of ex-Enforcers forced to be mechanics? More importantly, why surrender?"

"You'd have to ask them, if you hadn't turned them off for good." Jake said.

"Maybe it is a ruse." I said. "Maybe it's just them dragging a red herring without a fox tail to start with. It's anyone's guess." I pulled out a card. "This is my personal number. I get the feeling you'll need to call me one of these days." Jake slowly took it. "Call me a prophet, but sometimes, I can just tell that someone's going to need to talk to me at some point." I stood up and turned, and a thought hit me. "One last thing." I turned and gestured over my shoulder. "Those plugs you put in are _beastly_." Chance laughed. "I've been trying to figure out just what you did, but it's something I've never seen before."

"Well, you work on jet parts, you never forget about some of it, I guess." He said.

"Whatever you did, patent it now, and sell it for as high as you can." I said. "You'll pay off your debt to the commander inside of two weeks easy." A loud beeping sound caught my attention and we walked out, just as a bunch of junk was dumped directly onto my bike, making me put my hands to my head as the driver and someone else laughed like madmen. "My Harley!" The driver and passenger jumped out and walked over as I about let my anger get the best of me, but I grabbed the shorter one, Burke, and picked him up by his collar. "You just smashed my bike!"

"_Your_ bike?" He asked in a very surprised tone. "You mean it ain't Chance's?"

"Hey, let him…" Murray started.

"That bike cost me eight hundred dollars." I said, growling deeply. "I spent six hundred fixing it up, another five hundred in getting it repainted, two hundred on the tires, one hundred on the rims, and over six hundred more on modifications, plus fifty recently for new spark plugs." I raised Burke a little higher. "That adds up to two thousand, eight hundred, and fifty dollars, that you just smashed, because _you thought it belonged to Chance Furlong?!_"

"H-hey, we'll pay you back for it!" He said.

"That bike was one of a kind!" I said angrily. "I don't have a ride _home_! Not only are you going to pay me back, you're getting me a new bike, same year, same model, and you're paying for the parts I need to fix it up!"

"Hey, easy Leon." Jake said. "You're a little young to go to jail for these idiots."

"No, they're going to jail if they don't pay me back." I said. "Charges listed thus far, malicious destruction of property, destruction of personal Enforcer property, vandalism at the very least if it survived that ocean of parts." I dropped Burke and pointed. "Now clean that off of my bike, and if it survived, you'll only owe me for getting the paint redone and a week's worth of taxi money, namely seven hundred dollars, fifty dollars to headquarters and fifty dollars back."

"Hey, we don't have that kinda cash on us right now." Burke said. "Civil sehvants, like these jerks. Anyway, have them clean it and take it up with the city." I went to grab him, but Murray grabbed my arm, so I grabbed his wrist and threw him over my shoulder, into a pile of scrap twenty feet away. I turned to Burke as he backed up against the dump truck while Chance and Jake stepped back.

"My name, is _Major_ Leon Mane." I said in a growling tone. "My father was a _lion_, my mother was a _tiger_, and I just threw the _bear_!"

"Oh my…" He said under his breath.

"That means, that you're staring down one very angry teenage liger with a black belt in judo." I said. "So, are you going to get my bike out of that mess, or am I calling in a squad car to arrest you and your brother, and I press charges and put you two out of a job?"

"Murray, get over here and help me get the bike out!" He called. He ran over and started moving things as I stepped back.

"Jeeze, you threw that guy like a baseball." Jake said. "Judo?"

"Picked it up at camp." I said. "Keep an eye on these idiots. I need to call Jenkins for a ride… If there's any damage…"

"We'll fix it up, on the house." Chance said, patting my shoulder. "After seeing you put these dimwits in their place, it's the least we can do." I nodded, smiling a little as Murray got up, but as he looked at me, our eyes locked and he ran around the truck to start moving parts. "Hey, uh, before you step aside, why is being a liger so much of a point? I mean, what _is_ a liger?"

"Chance, a liger is the kid that's got a parent that's a lion and the other's a tiger." Jake said. "He pointed that out. He's half lion, half tiger, all teeth and claws with a big roar. You know, like the hero from that one cyborg movie."

"Oh yeah…" He said. "Hey, that means you can roar pretty loud, right?"

"Chance…" Jake said tiredly.

"Only when I feel like it." I said. I pulled out my phone and dialed, but I heard the truck door open, so I turned and saw Murray picking something up, and he saw me. I pointed the phone at him. "Don't even think about it."

"No one makes a fool outta me." He said. I lowered my arm and growled before letting out a loud bestial roar as my pupils became slits. He dropped a tire iron and put his back to the truck. "Jeeze!"

"You trashed my bike, laughed about it, and tried to act like it didn't matter!" I said angrily. "That bike is extremely hard to find! There were only a few dozen ever made and all but six were used for parts because the frames were smashed up! Is it still six or is it five now!?" He slowly moved. "I got that bike for a song and you might have just destroyed the only thing I truly consider mine since I left home!" I pointed at it with the phone. "That bike, belonged to an old friend of my family, and he gave me a good deal because I had to leave home, and it meant a lot to him because his father gave it to him when he was younger than me, and he gave it to me because he knew it needed someone who could watch over it! You think it's funny to vandalize someone's property, just because you feel like being _jerks_? Keep an eye on your favorite possessions, if that's the case, because one day, someone might destroy them, and it'll be _me_ that shows up on your doorstep, to take the report." He went back to the junk as I turned and re-dialed the number.

"Whoa." Jake said quietly. The line picked up.

"Richard, J-Jenkins…" He groaned pitifully. "Who's torturing me at this, unholy hour?" He sounded very hungover.

"It's Mane." I said. He groaned again.

"Sorry for not saluting, sir, or, whatever…" He said pitifully. I thought against asking him for a ride.

"What's the number to that, taxi service you used last night?" I asked. "They have the cleanest cabs, and my bike just got trashed by a couple of jerks that think they're a gift to the world."

"Uh, hang on, I, got the receipt, right, here…" He said. I heard a laugh. "Uh, wh-whoops, just, uh, need the… Oh, uh, h-hang on, just…" He paused for a moment and I heard a kiss ending. "Six-one-one-eight-three-two-nine. G-gotta… Gotta go, sir…" The line went quiet and I hit the end button before dialing the cab.

"A cab?" Jake asked.

"Jenkins got drunk last night, and made a new friend, or two." I said.

"Lynx cab company." A cheerful girl said. "Do you need a pickup?"

"Yes, out at the salvage yard outside of town." I said. "My bike might have just been totaled, we're still waiting to get it out of the recently 'delivered' salvage."

"I'll be there in half an hour." She said. "Can I get a name and description?"

"Major Leon Mane, seventeen, six-four, white fur." I said. "Should be easy to spot me." We laughed.

"Alright, half an hour." She said. "See you then, Major Mane." I ended the call when a thought hit me. I turned as I closed the phone.

"Hey, could you keep an eye on these two?" I asked. "Something else Mac and Molly said is bugging me. Let me know when the taxi gets here." They nodded slowly as I walked around to the back.

"Uh, hey, I got my radio, and Chance can handle those two." Jake said, walking up quickly. "Don't want you to get lost, after all." I walked toward the magnet and looked at the empty area, and stared at a large section of the ground that was cleaner than the rest. "So, what did they say that bugs you?"

"That there's a secret hangar under this magnet." I said. I looked at the large square section and stared at it as Jake looked around.

"Well, I don't see how." He said. "I mean, a jet like theirs would, you know, take up a _lot_ of space. We haven't catalogued absolutely everything, but there's no way there's a jet hangar back here. And besides that, we'd hear it."

"The problem is, you're the ones they said were the SWAT Kats." I said. "So, either you are, or you aren't. But, this spot…" He made a sound after a moment.

"Cancel the cab." He said. "Wait until Burke and Murray leave, and, at least let us explain." I looked at him, and pulled out my phone. I redialed the number.

"You deserve at least that much, considering what you've done for the city." I said. He walked around front as the line picked up.

"Lynx Cab Company." The same woman said.

"Hi, it's Major Mane." I said. "I just got a ride back, so you don't need to pick me up. Sorry."

"It's okay." She said. "I'm glad you've got a ride from, a friend?"

"Yeah, couple of old friends." I said. "Thanks."

"No problem, bye." She said cheerfully. I ended the call as I walked to the front, and Burke was trying to slip away.

"Hey, Burke, back to work." I called. "I just cancelled the cab to keep an eye on you two."  
…

I looked around the hangar while the two sat on a pair of rolling chairs. The Turbokat was there, as well as a stock of their signature missiles and gadgets, along with other vehicles of varying types, from bikes to a hovercraft, even a large drilling machine on spiked tank treads. As I crossed my arms, the lights fully came on, revealing a half finished Turbokat.

"So, Mac and Molly Mange were telling the truth." I said. "I guess even bad guys have their moments of honesty."

"Yeah, and they found out years ago." Jake said. I turned to them. "They snuck in while trying to get their Metallikat Express back. I guess one of them stumbled onto the secret entrance you spotted in the back, and they snuck in. We smashed their bodies further down, but their heads got loose just fast enough to escape deactivation."

"Then Feral neutralized 'em before they could rat us out." Chance said. "Since then, we worried, but it was like they forgot all about it… Until, the other day." I nodded, sitting against a table. "We just want to keep Megakat City safe, and we've done a heck of a lot better than the Enforcers did before Felina came along. Heck, since you came along, we've had a lot fewer calls from…" He stopped at that.

"Keep going." I said. "If someone else knows…"

"No, she…" He started.

"Miss Briggs has a special communicator linked to a few lines." Jake said. "I designed it a few years ago. I've always, tinkered with stuff, invented things in my spare time. Working here, I get enough of that." I raised my hand, and my index finger.

"The spark plugs in my bike." I said.

"Byproducts." Chance said. "We made those for our custom vehicles, the Cyclotron, the Turbo-Mole, the Sandkat… All of them use the Turbo Plugs, and since then, we've made some toned down ones for a few vehicles, like Callie's car and your bike… Which, uh, we'll still fix, before the trial."

"Let's talk about this before we get onto anything else." I said. I pointed at the Turbokat. "You two built that, from scrap?"

"Yeah, hard to believe sometimes." Jake said. "Manx had the city build us a new one, the Mark Two. We're, kind of working on a new one, faster, better, even more room for missiles, but still the same type, just, a bit bigger." I nodded as I looked at the frame. "We'll keep the Mark Two, but, the Mark Three will be for tougher missions." I just stood there for a moment, staring at the jet. "So, what now?"

"Not sure." I said. "On one hand, I'm supposed to bring you in for vigilantism, which is, sadly, against the law. On the other, the commander has chosen not to bring you in on more than one occasion, and I'd imagine Mayor Briggs would just pardon you anyway." They laughed quietly, decidedly relieved. "And then there's the matter that, I love flying. You wouldn't believe what I'd give to fly the Turbokat even _once_."

"Well, if we were to, say, 'donate' _a_ Turbokat, as the SWAT Kats, to the Enforcers." Jake said.

"We could say that you're its new pilot." Chance continued. "After seeing what you can do in that new Enforcer Jet… What's it called, the Blue Manx Two or something?"

"The EF-17, but, I don't know what the nickname is, or will be." I said. "But if you did donate the Turbokat, it'd need the mayor's intervention to keep it out of Pumadyne's hands."

"We'll set it up." Chance said. "After what we've seen, you're definitely the right guy to fly it, once we finish the Mark Three." An alarm suddenly began blaring and Chance shot up and grabbed a phone, holding up a finger. "Yes Miss Briggs?" She spoke over the phone. "What? The Metallikats? But, didn't that Leon Mane kid take 'em offline?" I took a partial step. "We're on it Miss Briggs." He hung up the phone and pointed at me. "Take the Cyclotron for now. Let's go, Razor." They ran to their lockers while I walked over to the bike and got ready. "Put it next to the Turbokat, and drive out after us."

"The excuse is, while you were waiting, we flew by and just gave it to you." 'Razor' said. "Go to Enforcer HQ and get your jet airborne, fast!"

"Roger that." I said. They ran over as I parked the super bike and got on it. T-Bone tossed me a helmet, which I put on.

"Hey, consider yourself an honorary SWAT Kat." He said. "Keep this between us, and you won't regret it." The platform lowered as their engine started.

"I couldn't get the charge to stick with krazy glue." I said. They laughed as the jet took off, and the Cyclotron shot after them as I stepped on the gas. It had a lot of power that really crept up on me, but as I shot over forty feet in the air, I landed past the junk and turned toward the city. I looked at the speedometer and saw it pushing way past two hundred. I let out a proud roar before spotting the dump truck of Burke and Murray, so I shot past them, and I saw them drive off the road. 'Okay, that's a little more revenge. Now, to work.' I dialed Jenkins' number on a screen and to my surprise, he picked up.

"Yeah?" He asked quickly. "Make it quick, I gotta get to work and I need to call my partner!"

"I know." I said. "It's me."

"S-sir?" He asked.

"I'm on my way in." I said. "I'll stop by your apartment and drive you in. I think you'll appreciate the new bike."

"New…" He started. "Sir, the Metallikats are back, and they're tearing up the First National Bank. They were lying about the SWAT Kats." I smirked.

'No, no they weren't.' I thought. "Yeah, I figured as much. But you won't believe this. Get outside, and say goodbye to your new friends."

"Y-yeah." He said. "Uh, yeah, I'll be right out."

"I'll be there in about, two minutes." I said. "Give or take." I ended the call and drove down the streets, turning quickly as my phone rang. I put it to my earpiece.

"Major, this is Feral, the Metallikats…" He started.

"Are back, I've heard, sir." I said. "You might want to wait before you deploy. I need to make sure of something."

"What?" He asked. "How did you hear? I only _just_ found out!"

"The SWAT Kats saw me walking toward a bus stop." I said. "They dropped off their jet bike and let me have it, and a helmet. It's a story, but it's true, sir. I'm on my way in. Mane, out." I ended the call at his silence and stopped in front of Jenkins' apartment, and he stared.

"H-hey, you…" He started. I sat up and he looked as I looked at him, raising the visor.

"Get on." I said. "Two seater." He stared and I gestured. "Hurry, they're getting the money!" He ran over and jumped on the back seat and I took off. "How's the hangover?"

"Better than it was." He said. "Family remedy. I'm good to go, sir."

"Good to hear." I said. I turned down the streets quickly until I angled back for a very steep wheelie. "Hang on, I'm going to try something." I engaged the turbo, and the bike shot into the air, and I landed right on the landing strip, and drove to the hangar, sliding to a stop in front of Feral. He stared at us as we got off. "Major Mane, reporting, sir." I saluted as they stared.

"You weren't kidding." He said. "I thought you were making it up."

"I wouldn't lie about this, sir." I said. "They gave me the bike, and I'd appreciate it if you'd abide that… At least until I get my own bike back, sir."

"We'll discuss it later." He said. He pointed at our jet. "I need you to deploy, now. The Metallikats woke up in Hackle's lab, stole his truck, and left. Apparently their memories _were_ wiped again, and the last thing they remember was getting their bodies, but not the identities of the SWAT Kats. The professor asked, and they said they never knew."

"So it was a lie?" Jenkins asked.

"Evidence points that way." I said. I walked to the jet and jumped in.

"Jenkins, you're with me." The commander said. Jenkins looked over in time with me. "I need the best operator. I'm going out on this one. Felina will join us when she can. Major, I trust you can handle the auxiliary weapon panel?" I saluted and Jenkins followed the commander as I prepped and launched, seconds before he did. As I gained altitude, he flew just ahead of me. "The situation is dangerous, and they're more heavily armed than ever. You said you saw the SWAT Kats, and they told you?"

"Yes, sir." I said. "Outside of town. They're on their way." As if waiting, the sound of their jet flying near caught my attention. "Speak of the devils."

"Hey, heard about your problem, figured we'd drop in." T-Bone said.

"Just hold back, you two." The commander said. "We'll handle this."

"Yeah, right." Razor said. "Regardless of the wonder-boy, how many times have the Metallikats been shut down by just your efforts?" The commander growled for a moment, but I flew up a little.

"We've got a new edge." I said. "Just sit back and wait your turn." They laughed.

"Alright, kid, good luck." T-Bone said. I smirked behind the mask as we flew toward the bank, just as the Metallikats stepped out and looked up at us. We switched to hover mode and I took aim with my Megavolt Missile.

"Mac and Molly Mange, drop your weapons and surrender _now_." The commander said.

"Blow it out your ear!" Mac said over the radio. He fired a rocket, but the commander dodged it.

"Mane, now!" He called. I locked onto Mac with the Megavolt Missile and fired it. In mid-flight, it blew off a pair of shields around the Tesla Coil, and Mac caught it. As he laughed, I hit the remote activator, and he let out a shuddering yell as it sent a million megavolts through him. After a minute, he staggered back, but dropped the missile.

"Whoa, head-rush." He said. He sounded surprised. "Molly, take him out."

"With pleasure." She said. She fired a machine gun up at me, and I dodged her fire by strafing, and a missile flew at them, blasting them back.

"Looks like they're tougher than ever." Razor said. "Let me try something." I moved and angled the machine guns while rising back. As Molly got up, he made a sound. "Launching Scrambler Missile!" He fired a red missile with a black lightning bolt, and it hit her and attached, sending a huge volt of electricity through her, making her scream. "Bingo! She'll feel that one!" Mac ripped the missile off of her as I flew to the side.

"Deploying Octopus Missile." I said calmly. I pressed the button and it flew in and grabbed the two, flying them down the street. "Keep up with them!" We turned and all switched to flight mode, with me taking a pretty long lead. As I flew, they broke free and crashed into an empty lot. But as I got above them, they fired, so I did a flyby machine gun attack.

"You stupid kid!" Molly yelled. I turned at an angle, but something hit my canopy, breaking the back. I looked back as I leveled out, and laughed.

"Commander, good thing you borrowed Jenkins." I said. "We need to replace his seat for all the bullet holes." I flew around and switched to hover as the Metallikats started running.

"Major, look out!" Commander Feral said suddenly. I looked up as my radar registered movement closing fast, so I lowered my altitude, and a missile that would have hit me angled down over me and hit behind the Metallikats, throwing them into a pile of gravel. "Where did that come from?"

"I'm getting readings from behind a building, moving fast!" Razor said quickly. "There!"

"Major, handle the Metallikats however you can." The commander said. "Felina, do you read me…" They went silent as I tuned them out, focusing only on the Metallikats as they got out. After a moment, I moved closer and switched to the heavy laser gatling. I opened up with it and hit them, staggering them and making it so they could barely move, but I wasn't doing noticeable damage. I switched to the second Megavolt missile, but then to the standard. As I stopped, they raised their weapons, but I fired both normal missiles at once, blowing them back onto the gravel. I fired on a crane's wire, which supported a very large bucket of gravel, and as it fell on them, I knew they'd be held for at least a little while. "Major, it's one of those silver jets from the desert!" I looked over my shoulder as I spun around.

"On my way, sir." I said. "The Metallikats are buried under tons of gravel, so they should be stuck for a while. I'll use the other Octopus Missile to hold them in place later." I took off toward their coordinates and saw it, the silver jet. As I got near, it pulled a tight turn, so I angled to match it as the others tried to keep up.

"It's too fast!" T-Bone said. "Never thought I'd _ever_ say that!" After a moment, I managed to aim at the engines, and I peppered it with all of my lasers. I blew out one engine and it slowed down considerably. I was able to get close when my radio read an unknown signal.

"You're shooting at the wrong target, 'Major'." A familiar electronic voice said.

"You." I said.

"Listen closely, I'm after the Metallikats." He said. "Stay back or I'll shoot you down without hesitation." I flew around as the others tried to get to us, but at the silver jet's top speed, I was close to my own.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"No one of consequence." He said. "Stand, down."

"You're under arrest for attempted murder on an Enforcer, and for threatening an Enforcer." I said. "Give us your location, now." The jet suddenly flew up, and I followed only briefly. I got a lock and readied the Megavolt Missile. "We know you use remote systems to pilot those jets, so what would happen if it were to be overloaded by about a million megavolts?" There was a silence, so I fired the missile, and it hit the jet perfectly as I avoided the shell. The engines stalled and it turned toward the ground, toward the lot. I followed it as the Metallikats got out of the rubble, and my eyes widened as the jet hit them, scattering gravel so high I had to avoid it, shooting at some of it to keep it from hitting me. As we switched to hover, I saw them ducking into a nearby alley.

"Major, your loyalties are clear before the time we discussed." He said. "You damaged my pod, and destroyed my jet. I can't let you get away with that, now, can I?"

"_Hey, you destroyed my training jet!"_ A familiar female voice echoed. _"I can't let you get away with that, now, can I?"_ I stared at the wreckage before we flew over toward the other end of the alley, but as I zoomed in on a kathole cover, it was being lowered.

"It's your fault _they_ got away, voice." I said. "I don't know who you are, but we had them cornered and were going in for the kill. Thanks to your interference they got away. You wanted them, we wanted them, but you made sure they got away."

"It's your fault for being arrogant, Major." The voice said. "Never forget, that you're nothing more than a child, not worthy of your ranks. You betrayed us once, and now again. Next time we meet in the air, I'm taking you down, personally." The line went silent and I heard a thud.

"Blast it all, where are they?" Commander Feral growled.

"The X-Ray Scope doesn't detect them, but it could just be they're not registering." Razor said. "They're modified, so maybe they've got something that makes them impossible to detect unless they're right in view…"

"Or some kind of cloaking system." I said. "Never rule out something Pumadyne might have lost."


	10. Deals and Future Plans

**Over a month since the last post, so there's that. There's less action for this chapter, but there's more to this story than just action. I hope you all like it.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron.  
…**

I closed the hatch to the manifold and picked up the rag, wiping my hands off as I looked at the 'Cyclotron'. My motorcycle was indeed intact enough to repair, but it would take a few days, so I told them to be careful with it, and I'd take good care of the Cyclotron. As I wiped my hands, I heard heavy boots on the floor.

"So, you went to check up on what the Metallikats had told you at Pumadyne." The commander said. I simply nodded. "And they're not the SWAT Kats. Just a couple of ex-Enforcers paying off a debt."

"A pilot and his operator running a junkyard." I said. I wouldn't lie, but I wouldn't have to tell the truth, if I didn't want to, and I felt like I owed them for all the times they saved the city. "And now the Metallikats are back online."

"So it seems." He said. "They lied to us, and still managed to get up."

"Some kind of redundant activation system." I said. "Some data got saved, some was erased. Anything long term remains while the new stuff goes away. They might actually think they were rebuilt, and they forgot about just wanting to quit."

"Did they seem damaged when you last saw them?" He asked. I shook my head. "Not surprising. Instead of the initial Super-Steel they were made from before, they're now made of a light amount of Mega-Alloy, made with small amounts of agracite." I set the rag in the bucket by me. "Their new bodies are entirely durable enough to take just short of everything we can possibly throw at them. We can hit them hard enough, but it's going to take a lot of work and planning to get them where we want them so we can do it." He looked at the Cyclotron. "And I doubt this has the firepower we need." I patted the side.

"Four missiles on both sides, and some Buzzsaw Missiles in the back." I said. "It'll do some damage if I can't make it to headquarters." He smirked slightly before turning toward the city, so I looked out, sitting against the table.

"It's becoming harder to protect the city lately." He said. "We used to get the best, most recently designed equipment, the most advanced weapons, and the most accurate firepower we could ask for. Then the SWAT Kats showed up, and Manx stopped funding us quite as much, since the SWAT Kats could get the job done and it didn't cost him or the city a dime. A little collateral damage here and there… Less than I usually said, if I'm being, completely honest." I nodded as I felt him looking at me. "We need better equipment, and right now, our prototypes, what the technicians are starting to call the 'Falcons', are all we've got that stands a chance against the modern criminals, who are able to get what they need, by stealing it." I stared toward the city. "If we just had one working copy of the Turbokat, even without those 'Speed of Heat' thrusters, we could handle just about anything."

"Who would, or could, fly it?" I asked.

"Felina, or me, or, you." He said. "The reason only the three of us are flying the Falcons is that we're able. We can go to mach three, faster than any other jet we've got. The best we had up to recently was the ability to _just_ break the sound barrier." I knew he was making a fist. "And by then the SWAT Kats were hitting mach five, neither one having any real trouble handling it, and still being able to take down their targets." I crossed my arms. "It's been under wraps, but I've had some people working on a prototype to the Turbokat, one that should go to mach five, if we can get the engines to work properly. I want to put an ace pilot in it. I'm getting a little old to go that fast, but I can get by in my Falcon." I could feel his eyes on me. "If we can complete our copy, I want the best to pilot it and fire for it. Jenkins is the best shot we have, and, as much as I'm sure Felina might disagree, you're the best pilot."

"I'd suggest the captain take it." I said honestly. "She's earned it, and I'm sure she'll be a better fit. She's got the strength to handle the speed, and enough skill she might just be able to match the SWAT Kats in the air. I've never gone mach five before, so there's no telling if I could take it, but she's been in the Turbokat before, at that speed, and more. She can take it."

"Are you sure?" He asked. "It could be a long time before you get your chance. The one we're working on is expensive, an undertaking that requires a pilot of incredible skill, and whether or not you can handle it at top speed, you could still do better than any other pilot on the force."

"Let Captain Feral have the honor this time." I said. "If I ever get the chance to fly a Turbokat, it'll be when I know I can handle it."

"It takes a big man to admit that, major." He said. "I'm sure your parents would be proud of you." He turned to me. "And they're going to be." I looked at him. "Ann Gora called, and apparently she wanted me to be aware that you didn't want your parents to know you're alive." I closed my eyes. "I was under the impression that you were an emancipated minor, or just some kid that ran away from home but was able to handle getting an apartment. I figured I'd overlook the latter since the former was more likely, but now I hear that your parents think you're dead, or at least missing. They 'buried everything but a body'."

"I'd rather they not know, sir." I said. "In a few month's time, I'll be eighteen, and that's enough to say that I'm allowed to live on my own. There's a lot I keep to myself, for a lot of reasons, but I promise, it won't ever affect my performance negatively, and it won't create any form of backlash."

"I'm not so sure." He said. "You never talk about your past other than that you were at camp, where you learned to fly, fight, and do a lot that a kat your age shouldn't be remotely able to do, or even know about. Was that a lie, too?"

"I keep a lot to myself." I repeated. "And it won't affect how I do my job in a negative fashion, sir." I looked him in the eye, standing and turning. "When I'm on duty, that's all that matters to me. When I'm off, I maintain my body and prepare for the next day. But no matter what, at this point in my life, being an Enforcer is the top priority. If my parents found out, they'd be within their rights to force me to quit, and you'd have to accept that, and in the time it would take to become emancipated, I'd be old enough to leave them anyway, and I'd come back here to get my job back. No matter what, this job is the most important thing to me, not because I need the money, or to indulge my need to be in the air, but because this city needs as many skilled Enforcers as it can get." He smiled a little. "I'm sorry that I can't give my parents peace right now, but if I go back home, what's to stop them from stopping me from coming back? Above all the other things I respect, the chain of command is at the top of the list. You're the strongest link we've got, but you can't ever say that your parents don't supersede the chain." He laughed quietly. "In a few months, go ahead and order me to go home and let them know I'm alive and well, I'll do it, happily. But until I know I won't end up being forced to stay home, I'd much prefer to stay here, where I can make a difference."

"One problem with that." He said. "I've done some digging, and I found out, you don't even have your high school diploma." He held out a form. "This is a special paper called 'it doesn't matter as long as you sign it' form." I fought a smirk. "Put your name on this, and it'll count, because you're smarter than any high school student, maybe even some of the eggheads at Pumadyne." He set the paper down. "I'll respect your choice regarding your parents, and I'll keep it quiet, but when you turn eighteen, take a week off and go visit them on that jet-bike. I just want one thing in return."

"Of course, sir." I said.

"My niece needs someone to go to the charity ball in two weeks." He said. That time I blushed. "Due to her, let's call it dedicated, personality, it's kept her from finding anyone who would take her, and thanks to pressure from my brother and his wife, she's, for lack of a better term, troubled. Surely you've noticed that she's only really all there when she's on the job." It was true. She did seem a little off at the diner, and at the club. "Thanks to her 'I don't take no for an answer' mindset, when her 'date' decides he's got other plans for the night of the ball, or he's got another date that he couldn't refuse since the date with Felina is just for her convenience and isn't going further than that one night, and he'd rather take a chance for something more, it's starting to get to her." He looked out at the city again. "My brother's expectations for her are higher than she realizes, higher than even I realized, but the problem isn't that she can't live up to them, it's that she doesn't realize she _can_. I won't let something as small as being unable to find a date to a formal event shake her. Even if it's not serious, someone needs to bite the bullet." I pulled out a pen and signed the form, and he looked over. "I'll have you set up to meet a tailor for a dress uniform in a few days."

"Captain Feral just needs to see that she's more than she realizes." I said. "I've seen enough to know that confidence can be shattered by the most innocuous of things. A formal event without a date, parents… And, besides that, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be there anyway. Officers have an automatic invite." He laughed quietly as he took the paper and put it in a folder.

"Just remember, this paper doesn't exist." He said. "I know what it looks like when someone finds their calling, and apart from your 'need' to fly, you're supposed to be an Enforcer, or at least someone who protects Megakat City."  
…

I looked over the forms as the door opened, and I heard the clerk shift, so I looked up slightly, expecting the worst, but he had a small smile.

"Mayor Briggs, your registration is, still good." He said. I went back to the form as I wrote the information in.

"I just came in because I, saw a familiar motorcycle." She said. "Are the SWAT Kats here?"

"No, ma'am, um…" He started. "This, is the owner, of the 'Cyclotron'."

"How did…" She started. I turned to look at her, and I saluted. "You…" She pointed. "Mayor Manx had you, protect Megakat Tower last week. You took down that big brute."

"Major Leon Mane, Mayor Briggs." I said. "I'm just following up on something." I lowered my arm as she walked over. "I had an issue with my motorcycle, and on the way back from the salvage yard, the SWAT Kats saw me waiting at a bus stop, recognized me from the news, and gave me the bike. Said to keep it as long as I needed it, so, I figured I'd get it registered so I wouldn't have to…" I laughed quietly. "Turn it over to the boys in R&D." She laughed. "It's just temporary registration until I get it back to them." I turned and finished it as she walked over. "Luckily I set this up or I'd be late for work." I signed my name and the clerk handed me some papers.

"You're set." He said. "When you turn it back over, just, shred this or toss it in a fire or something. Thank you." I shook his hand.

"Thank _you_." I said. I put the papers in a folder and turned to walk out, but Mayor Briggs stayed with me, so I held the door open for her. "Big day." She nodded as we walked over to the curb, near the bike.

"You're one of the ones flying, right?" She asked. I nodded. "Good to know my security is the best of the best. Commander Feral personally recommended you and Felina. But, without your uniform, don't take this the wrong way, you look a lot younger." I nodded, smirking, as I got on the Cyclotron.

"I should." I said. "I'm seventeen." She stared as I put my helmet on and gave a quick salute. "Have a good day, Miss Briggs." I started the engine and drove off, heading toward headquarters. As I got to the parking complex, however, I was stopped by Felina trying to lift the gate arm, which was putting up a good fight, since it was her and two security guards. I cut the engine and stepped away.

"Hey, lend a hand?" A guard asked. I walked over and grabbed the end, and jumped up onto the low wall. As they groaned and strained, I managed to loosen it, and as it went up, I jumped down as he put something to lock it. "I told them to oil it, not put in _krazy glue_." They laughed, but stopped as the 'lieutenant' walked over to her car.

"Thanks, Major." She said. "We'd have been here another ten minutes without your help."

"It's all about leverage." I said. I walked over to my bike as they stared, but she got in and drove while I showed my ID, a formality since these guys knew my face and voice fairly well from most mornings. I drove up to my usual spot and parked, but to my surprise, she walked over to me.

"So, the SWAT Kats actually just, gave this to you." She said.

"Temporary." I said. "I'll call them when my bike's out of the shop so they can pick this up at the salvage yard." I got up and put the helmet on the handlebar.

"Must be nice." She said. "Smooth ride?" We started walking.

"Like flying down the street." I said. "It just _glides_ on the blacktop, even without the thruster engaged. I'll say this, it's quiet without that thing, too. Like a ghost bike or something." She laughed. "Yeah, it's nice, but give me my Harley any day of the week so I can roar down the street, so I can wake up my neighbors on time."

"You're their alarm clock?" She said jokingly.

"For a few blocks." I said. She laughed as I pressed the button to summon the elevator.

"So, you checked for bugs last night?" She asked. I nodded. "Find any?"

"No, but the engine was designed by a lunatic." I said. "Only the SWAT Kats could design a stealth bike with zero emissions without that engine on the back going." She nodded. "The guys in R&D would go insane trying to figure it out."

"Yeah…" She said. After a minute, she sighed. "So, ready to guard the mayor on her way in to her first day?" I nodded.

"Yeah, ready as I can be." I said. "I manually reloaded my fighter's missiles, saw it refueled, checked all of the systems twice, and I'll do that again before we take off." She nodded. Another few minutes went by and I pressed the button again. "I think we need to call someone in to take a look at the motor or something."

"No kidding." She said. A few more silent minutes passed and I shook my head.

"I'm taking the stairs." I said. "This is ridiculous." I went to the door and started walking, but I heard the door just as I jumped the entire way up the first part. As I jumped the second, third, and fourth, I heard her call something, but I couldn't hear her. I leaned my head over the edge. "What?!"

"I said, the elevator…" She started. She looked up at me. "Never mind, looks like you're faster on the stairs!" She laughed as I smirked, going back to jumping. When I got to the floor I wanted, I walked out just as the elevator got there. She walked out and stared as I started toward the locker room. "Did I miss the memo that you had a teleporter or something?" She walked by me as I shrugged, putting my hands in my jacket pockets. Over the weekends I'd leave my uniform to be cleaned at headquarters, as did she. She wore a white shirt with a black jacket, jeans, and a pair of running shoes. I had a black shirt, black pants, and black boots which, just like my work boots, had jackknives in the heels. "Seriously, how fast are you?"

"As fast as I need to be." I said simply. "But only when I need to be." She laughed as we walked in, and as I got to my locker, I found a note taped to it. I pulled it and looked it over. 'Major Leon Mane, your invitation to the Annual Enforcer Charity Ball is in your locker, and remember that the captain could use a dance partner. Ulysses Feral.' I folded it as I opened the locker, putting it in my pocket after making it small enough. I pulled an envelope out and opened it.

"What's that?" She asked. "Secret admirer?"

"I'd think you would be more likely to have one." I said. "You've been here longer, and your hair is much nicer." She laughed as I looked at the engraved letter. "It's my invite to the charity ball in a few weeks. Officers are automatically invited."

"Yeah, I know, I get passed over on promotions, all the, time…" She said. "Except, this time! _Yes_!" I looked at her as she did a quick arm pump. "I finally made captain! It's about time!"

"Then there must be another letter waiting for you." I said. I looked at mine and she laughed.

"You're right, there is." She said. "_Captain_ Felina Feral, you are cordially invited to the Enforcer Charity Ball…" She laughed quietly. "The only way I could have gone before was as a plus one, and no one was man enough to even ask. They'd try, but they'd chicken out at the last second and just flirt like idiots."

"You know, legally, I'm not old enough to go to the ball due to the drinks they serve." I said. "Can't exactly ask them to go dry on my account." I felt her looking over. "Regardless of my personal moral fiber, this invitation might just go unanswered for another, three years." I put the envelope away.

"You know, they'd probably call you up for any number of awards." She said. "Six months and you're a major, you took down who knows how many dirtbags, on duty and off… If they didn't at least give a toast every ten minutes at every table, it'd be an insult. And if they do, better you be there to hear it."

"Shame I'm too young." I said. "Though, if I had someone to vouch for me, someone who could keep me away from the champagne or wine, I think an exception could be made. Then again, there's still the fact that I'm still seventeen, a little young, and it's close to short notice." I held the envelope up. "Well, I'll just have to RSVP no."

"Why?" She asked. "Just because you're a little young?"

"Well, I'm a kid first, officer second." I said. "Hard to say that I'd be worth asking, and who says yes to the kid?" I put the letter down and removed my jacket normally. We were early, but then, I tried to be as often as possible when I had to use the locker room, though not for being 'shy', I just didn't care for being jabbed at by some of the less mature guys.

"Try asking before you send out that RSVP." She said. "You'd be surprised by some of the women that work here. A date doesn't meant it has to end in going home together."

"That's true." I said. I pretended to be in thought for a moment as I hung the jacket up. "Being that that's the potential case, _captain_, would you care to surprise me?" She laughed as I looked over.

"You know, I had you pegged as brave the second I found out you were so young." She said. "More when you started flying the sixteen, and when you went between those buildings, I thought you were absolutely _insane_. And you know what, that's what I like in a man. Surprise, major, you just got yourself a date." I smiled genuinely.

"I'll pick you up at seven?" I suggested. She laughed as she turned to her locker, removing her jacket.

"Sounds good." She said. "Rocket bike or the Harley?" I turned to my locker as I undid the buttons on my shirt.

"I'll rent a limo." I said. She laughed. "Hey, I've got some disposable income thanks to the tower-sitting. What better way to spend it than to show up at the charity ball in style? My bike is getting a free tune up, after all."


	11. Rough Day, Rough Deal

**New chapter, not much else to say but enjoy. Oh, and please enjoy learning a little Russian, but pardon the language used, please.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron.  
…**

I typed in a few things on the computer, looking over every small detail. It was simple, just a basic report about how I had found a minor error in the targeting system for the missiles. I'd noticed that when I used the Octopus missiles, it fired just to the left of where I was aiming. It wasn't a severe issue, but it would be better to report a minor bug or glitch just in case it was amplified by greater distances. As I sent it in, I checked my watch.

'My suit should be done by now, and I should get the text…' I thought, just as my phone vibrated. I pulled it out and flipped it open. 'Your suit is ready for pick-up whenever you are ready. Have your ID ready, and it's yours.' I closed the phone with a small smile, more pleased that it was ready than because of my guess about how long it would take.

"Sir?" Jenkins asked. "What was that about?"

"My suit to the charity ball." I said. He was silent for a moment. "Should be nice. I got it for a song, just needed a few alterations to get it to fit just right."

"Are you…" He started. "You know what, you are. The commander makes exceptions for you because, you're worth it, and he can trust you not to drink… I hope." I laughed as I put the phone back and went back to another report concerning the performance of the 'Falcon'. "So, uh, did you notice anything, about the new missiles?"

"Off by a hair or two?" I said. He nodded as I went about the information regarding the change between flight and hover mode. "I've already submitted that report. Now I'm on the friction between the thrusters for hover mode. I've noticed some scraping and damage, and I'm sure it's because there needs to be another space adjustment or it might do some serious damage instead of just a few scratches and gouges in the paint." He blinked.

"Wow, I had no idea." He said.

"It's more cosmetic than anything important, but it's a noteworthy concern." I said. "We should try to keep our fighters in top shape. Having to repaint it after every mission even if we didn't take a hit isn't exactly cost efficient." He nodded as I typed up the report.

"So, uh…" He started. "The, uh, charity ball. You've, got a suit being tailor made?"

"No, just having the one they gave me taken in a little." I said. "They gave me one a half size too big and the pants kept falling down. My tail can hold it, but then the belt fails and the front falls. I don't need to tell you that I'd have to sit the whole time and be the last to leave, holding my pants up by hand." He laughed. "They have my size, they just don't want me to have it right away."

"So, uh, being that you're so young…" He said.

"I had to find a date." I said. "Luckily the captain decided I shouldn't have to wait four years to go."

"The, captain?" He asked. "You were the only captain I knew of for the past few weeks. Who is she?"

"Here's a hint, she doesn't take no for an answer." I said. "She would have railroaded me into going if I said I didn't want to." He laughed.

"Lieutenant Feral?" He asked.

"It's _captain_, now." I said. "She just got the letter the other day." I sent the report and after closing a few things, I brought up another one. "We were just getting in, shooting the breeze, found our invitations and her letter of promotion. She's as big on ceremony as I am."

"Well, you two get along." He said. "You took her to dinner after we thought the Metallikats were gone for good."

"Yeah, but that was just dinner, not a date." I said. "It's how I celebrate. A quiet dinner at my local diner. Cheap, but they could charge fancy restaurant prices and I'd still go there." He walked around after turning off his computer, and I closed the tab before he saw it, and turned it off.

"So, how do you plan on picking her up?" He asked. "It's a formal occasion, so, she, might actually wear a dress and get her hair done."

"I rented a car." I said. "Figured we should show up with a chauffeur instead of on my borrowed jet bike." I got up and turned, walking toward the door.

"I'm going." He said. I looked at him. "Apparently, I, well, I'm going to be awarded for, having shot down the Sons of Viper, fought that gang, with, your help, of course, and those other jets. I figure they'll award us both, a-and the lieuten, er, the captain and her operator." I shrugged.

"As long as they don't drag me onto a stage." I said. "I don't care for ceremonies and all that mess." He laughed. "I think it's about lunch, isn't it?" He nodded as we started walking, and as we got into the mess hall, I dodged a thrown tray of food, though Jenkins took it square in the face. "What the hell is going on here?" A kat staggered back, wiping food off of his flight jacket.

"Someone just lost it!" He said. "New guy asked Captain Feral to go to the charity ball with him, and she says she's got a date, and he just started laughing, but the more she resisted, the madder he got, so now…" I heard a loud crash and I pushed into the crowd, and saw the captain blocking a metal tray with another tray.

"Hey, cool your jets!" She yelled. The kat, a familiar tabby, brought his tray down and dented hers, forcing her back. As she went to hit him, another kat grabbed her from behind, holding her arms and pushing her forward.

"I tried to be nice, but no one, _no one_ disses me!" The tabby yelled. The other one agreed as he advanced on her, claws out. "Let's see how your date likes your new face when I'm done…" It was like the world slowed to a halt as I moved in, closing the gap between him and myself in only two strides, and just as he started looking at me as if to intimidate me, I struck him, hard, throwing him back into a table. Time flew back to normal as he got up and started posturing, holding his arms up high and touching his chest. "Sucker punch, really? Little _bitch_!" He threw a sloppy punch at me, and I caught his fist, turning it over and putting pressure on his wrist. He went from tough 'gangsta' to a whimpering coward in under a second, going to his knees and putting his other hand low. "F-f…" I moved his wrist again and he let out a sharp yelp.

"Hey!" The other one said. He sounded like a typical goon, but before he could say more, Jenkins jumped on his back, holding onto his neck. He let go of the captain and she promptly turned and punched him in the gut, and then the face as he leaned forward. While they handled the big one, I just held onto the other.

"So, corporal, you thought you'd try to hit on the captain." I said. "Trying to score not only well above your station, but above your rank as well. Not only that, but knowing full well she already has a date to the event." He swallowed. "And just because that date wasn't you, you threaten to disfigure her with your claws, just to spite her and her date." I leaned in, forcing him down a little more. "Not only do you need to worry about her, and her date…" I leaned in, looking him dead in the eyes as my pupils became vertical slits, making his pupils shrink. "Her uncle is the commander, and she's not afraid to go to him, to get you sent to prison for a very long time." He whimpered. "And, just so you know…" I lowered my voice so only he could hear. "_I_ am her date to the ball, and there's two things you should know. First, I'm a liger, and that makes me a little _wild_ when I get angry. Second, I'm not a jealous or possessive guy, but I'm what you call 'overprotective'. Threaten her again, and I break your arm, off." There was a silence and he looked past me as my eyes returned to normal. I tuned the situation in and heard Jenkins explaining what had just happened, and I 'helped' Corporal Anderson to his feet. He rubbed his wrist as the commander walked over. I knew from his boots landing in a familiar, almost fatherly, step, in that it was like he was about to discipline an unruly child.

"Anderson, I understand you threatened Captain Feral." He said calmly. I simply stepped back, though he moved his hand to keep me at his side. "I have witnesses even saying that you had your claws out, obviously planning on scarring her face." Anderson went to speak, but stopped as the commander let out a quiet growl, so only he, Anderson, and I would hear properly. "All for not wanting to go to the ball with you? You just got here, and already you're acting like you're the king of the pride?" Anderson went to step back, but a look from me made him freeze. "Anderson, clean out your locker, and sell your house. If I hear one more peep that you're causing trouble in Megakat City, I'll make sure you never see the outside of solitary." Anderson swallowed as we stepped aside, and he walked past us.

"Imet' khoroshiy den', suka." I said in a faux cheerful tone. The other one left, and the commander put a hand on my shoulder.

"Mane, Feral, Jenkins, my office, now." He said as he started walking. We followed him, and I saw the Jenkins had a little blood coming from his lip.

"You alright, Jenkins?" I asked. The captain looked at him and laughed.

"He got sucker punched by a kat from the crowd trying to hit the fat guy." She said. "It's just luck it was a busted lip instead of his nose."

"I did what I had to do." He said, trying to sound tough. We were silent the rest of the way, until we sat across from the commander.

"I want you to know that, officially, I'm punishing you all for what happened." He said. "And for all intents and purposes, the punishment is that for the next three days, you're eating lunch in here." I blinked. "Unofficially, I'm glad things turned out the way they did. Major, from what I've heard, you handled Anderson with a single punch and a wrist hold. Tell me, did he really fly back ten feet?" I thought back to the moment as Jenkins laughed.

"Well, m-more like, six or seven, but it looked like ten feet." He said. They both laughed.

"Six sounds about right." I said.

"Jenkins, Felina, good work subduing his partner." The commander said. "He'll be taken in on charges of assault, both physical and sexual." The captain nodded. "And last, before lunch arrives, major, what exactly did you say to Anderson as he walked past us? I don't speak Russian."

"Russian?" Jenkins asked. "I thought that was German."

"It was Russian." I said. "I said, and pardon my language in advance, 'have a nice day, bitch'." The captain laughed while the commander's eyes showed curiosity. "He said the word to me, and I figured, I might as well get in a shot while I had the opportunity, knowing he would try to get it translated later."

"I see." He said. "Well, I'll try to remember the first three words. Which one was the…"

"Suka, pardon my language." I said. He laughed quietly.

"I don't know why I thought that was German." Jenkins said.  
…

I looked at the mirror, at my suit. It was a great fit, perfect, and it was just right around my tail for full mobility without being tight anywhere. As I looked it over, I took it in, dark gray, black, with our proud emblem emblazoned over my heart, with a few pockets and my rank on the collar in actual brass.

"Well, what do you think?" The tailor asked. "It is some of my _finest_ work."

"I entirely agree." I said. "It fits like a glove." He nodded, smiling widely.

"The Enforcers often have to get their suits modified for one reason or another." He said. "Something about their fitters make them think going half a size bigger means they will be, comfortable, but when the pants fall down, no one is comfortable, except perhaps the date, if it goes that way." I nodded, laughing.

"I entirely agree." I said. "Not long to the charity ball now, and I bet you're busy."

"Oh, as a beaver." He said. "Dozens of suits being refitted from a little training, or lack thereof." I nodded as I turned. "Keep it safe, I don't want to see it again until next year at the absolute earliest."

"Well, I keep in shape, so the most you might have to do is lengthen it." I said. "But, hey, I'm done with growth spurts." We both laughed. "I'll take good care of it. As an officer and a gentleman, it would be undignified if I were to allow it without a very good reason, such as fighting for the honor of my date." He nodded as I picked up my normal clothes and walked to the back. As I got out of the suit and switched, putting the suit in a special bag, I stretched. But walking out, I saw him looking nervously at a kat in a cloak with big boots. "You again. I don't appreciate being followed, skeleton walker."

"You figured it out." He said, removing his hat. As I expected, it was a robot skeleton like the ones from the plane.

"Didn't take long." I said. "It's not meant for combat, so back off."

"Meant or not, it's beyond you." He said. "Listen and listen well, the Enforcers are no longer needed, so lay down your weapons and prepare for the changing of the guard. We only wish to protect the city, and if we must occupy it to do so, then so be it."

"The mayor won't allow it." I said. "She doesn't care for radical extremists." He laughed quietly. "Besides, working through robots breaks the judicial system, since robots don't do paperwork, and since you're not even in the city, it wouldn't count."

"Break the wrong laws, and court isn't even necessary." He said. "Murder, rape, any and all violent crimes will be met with either broken limbs or death. Instant justice." My pupils once more became vertical slits, but this time out of surprise.

"That might be justice to some, but it's a violation of rights." I said. "Find a kat beating up another kat in an alley, you kill or maim both, but find out one was defending himself. You harmed an innocent."

"Neither is innocent." He said. "You can always run from a fight."

"Unless running gets you killed." I said. There was a deafening silence. "The Enforcers are the law here. Without us, the city descends into chaos. You start coming in, killing anyone violent, or at least making it so they'll probably get picked off later, and the results can't be estimated or measured."

"The city would fall quiet, after three weeks, four days, seventeen hours, and ten minutes." He said. "We calculated all factors, and that's the time everyone accepts the new order, that as long as they're not committing acts of violence, we have no need to do our job. Let the petty criminals go free, and cull the fools stupid enough to threaten the innocent."

"You threaten them just by being here." I said. "He's scared." The eyes moved to the clerk. "Put a kat in a corner and move in, he'll fight to the last. That's something you can always count on, but you never know what makes a kat feel cornered. You've got me here, in this shop, and I feel, threatened." I set the suit on the counter as I stepped aside, and it looked at me. "I feel like I'm in danger, and in that case, I will fight back with all I've got. It might not be much, but, it'll do."

"My commanding officer offers one last deal." He said. "You best the shell, you get to keep it, and we abandon taking over, but if you lose, you join our cause again." It shed the coat as the tailor whimpered. There was a crowd watching as I crouched slightly.

"Get out of here, while you can still have your asset." I said.

"It is twice as strong as any kat." He said. He walked toward me and I slipped around quickly, kicking it over before kneeling and opening the heel of my left boot.

"And I'm a lot faster and more agile than you." I said. It got up as I retrieved the jackknife and got up, palming it. I dodged for a moment before opening the knife and going around, slashing at the expected exposed wiring. It began slowing until I stabbed it in the side, separating part of the shoulder, and I pulled it off, throwing the mech out the door along with the detached arm. I walked out as it tried to get up, and the mech, coughed. "What are you coughing for? You're not even here."

"We have, better technology." He said. "But nothing to, fight off certain diseases, without sacrificing body parts." He got up shakily. I definitely hit a power wire that was important. As it rushed me, I detached the other arm and part of the left leg, and it fell to the ground, looking at me. "You are indeed the one we sought. You will, join us soon."

"I'm an Enforcer." I said, kneeling by it. "And you're going to be quiet now." I jammed the knife into the voice module and pried out before dropping it. The eyes went out and I tapped the knife's blade against the throat. "Good night, tin kat." I got up and walked in, closing the knife as I raised my foot. "Sorry about that. You'd be surprised how often this sort of thing happens to me."

"Would I, really?" He asked. "I've lived here for six years and never saw a robot in person, but I knew about the Metallikats. Was that, one of them?"

"No, just a confused guy remote controlling it." I said. I put the knife back in.

"And, that?" He asked. "Ruining a boot for a weapon?"

"Two boots, and not ruined." I said. "They work perfectly fine, I just hollow out the heel so I can have quick access to a backup weapon when I need it." I pulled out my phone. "I guess I'm here for a bit while I call this in. The guys that built that thing are losing a lot of toys to us lately." As I went to dial, the phone rang, so I picked it up. "Leon Mane."

"I know who you are." The electronic voice said.

"Yeah, figured it was you, but can't be too careful these days." I said. "Short wave or long?"

"Satellite." He said.

"Stick to your deal or no?" I asked.

"We honor our deals, no matter what." He said. "One day, you will need our aid, and while we will provide it, know that upon your death, Megakat City is ours."

"Yeah, you say that, but the C-O-C plans on finding you." I said. "And then you're going down. I guess it's all a matter of what happens first, and in this case, it's a matter of either us finding you, or you checking the news and reports for my death. Until then, however, I've got things to do, and guys to call about picking up your robot."


End file.
